Master of Puppets
by Tally Mai-chan
Summary: Sakura has been kidnapped by the Akatsuki to be used as bait. Her jailer and interrogator? None other than Sasori. Sakura is determined to endure if only to prove to Sasuke her worth as a shinobi but it won't be easy for Sasori will throw his worst at her
1. A one way love

Master of Puppets

Yeah, I know another story, yeah, yeah shame on me for starting another story when I already have like several other on going stories, well... dang it, I can't say anything mean to you guys xuz then you won't review (cries) Oh well....

(New notes!!) Rewrite!!! Yay! I'm rewriting Master of Puppets. Why? Because the first part of the story sucks, well to me it dose. So I'm going to go back through it and fix the multitude of errors. Also I'm doing this because I've decided to continue this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Characters of Naruto but all OC's that may or may not appear belong to me and only me and you have no right to use them with out permission from me first.

Chapter 1: A one way love leads only to a broken heart

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_'Why'_

The one word that twisted my wretched soul, the one word that filled my entire world with despair.

_'Why won't he love me?'_

The one phrase that made me cry every night since he first rejected me. Those words came to me like demons in the night, tormenting me, mocking me, insulting me until I was nothing more that a shivering weakling, begging for rays of hope. A dawn that will never come.

_'Why won't Sasuke love me?'_

Sasuke, the source of all my pain, of all my hurt. Him, the one I wasted countless nights crying over, the one who constantly mocked and insulted me. Him, the one I love more than life itself.

I can't explain why I was so drawn to him. Was it his aloof attitude? Was it his awesome strength? The way he moved, the way he talked, sat, slept, the list goes on. All I know was that I was irresistibility drawn to him.

And it was that magnetic attraction that had me here now, deep in the woods surrounding Konoha, crying my eyes out.

"Why...." I begged to the pale full moon, suspended weightlessly high in the sky. The clear night giving me a unhindered view of the celestial arrangement surrounding the moon. Like city lights in the distance.

For a moment I was caught in it's heavenly grasp. I wanted lustfully to become one with it, to be surround by stars and far away from all earthly matters. It was so beautiful, I could finally be free from him, forever out of his reach, and far, far away from his influence.

I could almost touch the bright stars with the tips of my fingers. I was there, among the stars and away from him. Right when I felt like I could forget all my pain, all my suffering and finally be in the light.

But he wouldn't let me, his icy cold hands grabbing me, pulling me down, and down. I cried out in desperation but even those desperate cries were covered up. With one finally tung he hurled me back to earth, leaving me to wither in pain, never to rise up again.

"No..." I whispered into the cool night, "no..." Tears flowed evenly from my puffy red eyes, in the distance I could hear people calling my name, no doubt Naruto and everybody else. I could hear Naruto's and Ino's voice clearly above the others.

The thought to answer back to their calls tempted me, I could call out to them, and they would come racing over. They would be so happy and begging me to let them carry me back and take care of me. I could confide in the girls, but most like they'd only tell me to keep my spirits up and try harder. How shallow.

I could feel a hard lump rising up in my throat, yearning to be released, to turn that wonderful fantasy in my mind into reality but he wouldn't allow it. Even in my inner most thoughts, in the depths of my heart he's there.

_'You're so weak.' _His frigid hard voice sneered, I winced as if I was struck violently. It was that way all the time. His words never failed to lash out at me with malice, imaginary or not. _'Always depending on others, than again you're too weak to stand up on your own.'_

"He's right." I cried as I curled up into a ball on the hard, filthy ground. More tears stung painfully around my eyes as the desperate, horse voices of my friends slowly faded away, giving into the hums and chirps of the thousands of bugs residing with in the forest.

I sniffed, a painfully sad sound, a stark contrast to the peaceful night. Nothing was peaceful in the chaotic storm taking place with in my heart.

He had yet again rejected me, only this time it was different. This time not only did he break my heart but this time he broke my arm.

A high, humorless laugh fell past my lips, startling a nest of birds high above me. I thought it ironic how thinking about him distracted me from the angry, red ,throbbing wound running all the way up and down my arm.

At first it burned in waves of endless pain, almost crippling me motionless. Eventually as I ran away from him, my tail between my legs the pain would come and go. For moments it would be blissfully pain free and for a moment I cold breath easy, but then it would come back with vengeance, causing me to stumble and my breaths come out ragged and forced.

Now it was nothing more than a dull throb but I knew that by night tomorrow I risked losing use of my entire arm. Such injury could abruptly end my career as a proud shinobi of the hidden leaf village.

Is that why he crushed my arm? So that I could never walk through the streets of Konoha with my held held high out of pride, pride that came from knowing that I, even in a small way, was helpful. Or did he do it to simply remove a useless tool that was too weak to stand up to the rigors of work. Yes that's it, he removed me like one would pull a weed from a garden. To him I was nothing more than a parasite, someone who lived off of the wealth of the village, never giving back in return.

'_People like you are only a nuisance'_ How many times had he told me that? How many times had he repeatedly brought me down with all the fowl things his wicked, yet oh so beautiful, mind could think of.

Any smart person would have quit, requested for a new team or stood up to him but not me. I never quit or appealed to switch teams. No I never did any of those things because I loved him and I could never leave him.

I laid there, in that dark forest for hours upon hours, wallowing in self disgust. Even when the sun peeked out at me from the west, towering over tree tops. I did not move. Not even when the sun was high in the sky looking down on my frail and beaten body. I hardly moved a muscle.

It was almost twilight and I was getting the irking to move or walk. To do something after staying still for almost an entire day. My stomach growled restlessly and the dull throb in my arm had, over the course of the day, escalated to a hard pounding pain that made my entire frame to shiver uncontrollably.

Using all my remaining energy, despite my aching bones and muscles from lack of use I was able to stand up and limp back towards the village.

Truthfully I didn't want to go back. I wanted to stay there, on the ground in the middle of a forest where no one could find me. I would slowly rot away and die. I would have done it too, I should have done it but it was my love for Sasuke that pulled me back to the village. An irresistible force that never failed to pull me back in.

I was trudging through the thick undergrowth that caught endlessly on my clothes and hair, hindering my every move when, from behind, I heard the snap of a twig.

Sasuke may believe that I do not have what it takes to be a shinobi but when I heard that snap I was instantly on guard with a kunai already in hand. Pain shot up and down my arm and legs and my vision blurred into flashes of red and black but I stood firm.

Had I delayed for an instant the unmistakable whoosh of a thrown kunai that came seconds after would have no doubt embedded its self into my heart, killing me instantly. Even so my reaction was slow and while I still deflected the dangerous knife it still skirted off to the side grazing my shoulder.

"Impressive." Said a deep voice that reminded me of gurgling water said from behind me. I could only react, no time to panic or hesitate. Forcing chakra into my feet I pushed off hard from the ground, away from the voice.

Sweat rolled down my pale skin as I did another run/jump forward, away from the voice, I didn't think to look and see who was speaking, it didn't matter, at least it didn't matter at that very moment. I couldn't waste a thought at wondering who my assaulter was when it took all my concentration just to remain standing.

"Nice try" the voice said again, only now from my left, My face snapped to the side catching a glimpse of my attacker. A gasp escaped my lips, I knew who he was. I had never seen him before but Naruto and told me about him once, weeks, mouths ago.

"_Sasuke's brother..." Naruto stared blankly into the bowl of ramen Sakura had decided to treat him to._

"_Uchiha Itachi, right?" Sakura asked, her face serious. Naruto nodded meekly and halfheartedly took a sip of his ramen. _

"_Yeah him and that shark guy."_

"_Shark guy?" Sakura questioned._

I gasped in pain as the man punched me in the gut, knocking the wind out of me. I hit the ground hard, pain ricocheting up my now broken leg.

"_Yeah." Naruto looked up from his ramen, staring her right into the eye. "He was blue skinned with blue hair, small beady white eyes and spiky blue hair with gills on his face."_

"_He sure sound like a fun person." I laughed hoping to cheer Naruto up. I could see a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth but there was no more reaction from him._

"_Kakashi-sensei told me that his name was-"_

"Heh, resistance from here out is futile," The males deep voice said from above me. I could only look up at my attacker, waiting for whatever painful end will come and end me.

"Hoshigaki Kisame" I breathed, trying in vain to hide the pain that dulled my senses and blurred my vision.

"Well, well, it knows my name." Kisame smirked down on me "Well I must say that saves me some valuable time explaining things."

"Wheres..." Blood quickly filled my mouth, my breathing came more and more labored. My vision fading. "You're... partner...in crime" I coughed, blood spurted from my lips, coating them in rich crimson red.

"You mean Itachi right? Heh, he's distracting Konoha's ANBU from us."

"Why...?" I was barely clinging to consciousness, my vision almost entirely gone, in just a matter of seconds I would pass out.

"Simple." Kisame reached down, grabbing me by the collar of my pink shirt and hulling me up. "We're here to kidnap you."

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Yay! First chapter is done and over with! Cliffy ending right?

please, please review.... please.


	2. I'll never tell

Hey and here we are with the chapter 2!!! Thanks to all of you who reviewed! Here! You get cyber cake with bagels and cream cheese! (hands cake and bagels) And I hope you will see the end of my horrid grammar mistakes, for some reason I keep switching between first and third person, so sorry if it may seem confusion, I do the best I can. Well Enjoy ^__^

Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful characters of Naruto if I did then... well heh, some kinky stuff would be happening....

Chapter 2: I'll never tell.

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_'Where... where am I?'_

A question not different than the one I asked myself not long ago. Unlike before I didn't want to know the answer to this question. I wanted everything, Sasuke hurting me, Kisame kidnapping me, everything to be just a dream. I would open my eyes and I would be in my pink room under my pink comforter. Mom would wake me up and dad would make pancakes and tell me to go out there and become a great shinobi.

I would laugh with Ino, Hinata and Tenten. Punch Naruto for hitting on me and swoon over Sasuke as he ignores me.

"Well lookie here," Kisame's gurgling voice penetrated the still darkness. "Sleeping beauty is waking up."

I ignored him, it wasn't easy to considering he broke my leg and kidnapped me. Instead I slowly opened my eyes. The dusky dim light of a open mouthed cave was the first thing I saw. Stalactites hung down from above me like daggers, waiting to tear my flesh should I even dare to move from my lumpy spot on the rugged floor. My eyes burned as I looked straight out the bright cave opening, Kisame nothing more than a large black lump against the bright light of the outside world. I quickly turned away favoring the darkness to my left.

Kisame called my name but I refused to answer, there's no way I'm just going to sit here and do everything he tell me to. It is a shinobi law to resist capture and if there was anything I knew it was shinobi conduct.

_'You can never became a Shinobi.'_ Sasuke's voice sneered from inside my head. '_The only thing you can do is memorize the code and pretend.'_

_He's right'_ I couldn't help but think. All I was ever good at in the academy was henges and taking tests. I had no outstanding ninja techniques. I was just a nobody wannabe.

"Okay, fine ignore me. It's not like I treated all your wounds and bandaged them for you." Kisame called back at me.

"Y-you did what f-for me?" I asked, my eyes wide. Why would a criminal, who just kidnapped me, treat my injuries? I had to be dreaming now, I just had to be.

"Did I stutter little girl?" Kisame grinned, stepping away from the from the halo of light surrounding the cave's entrance. He walked over to me and sat down picking up my arm and poked it tentatively,

I gasped in pain as my arm throbbed. He grinned down at me in what probably seemed to a him a reassuring manner, but to me it looked like the twisted grin of a sadist.

He tugged slightly on the splints tied to my arm, to make sure it would heal properly.

"I'm sorry about your leg, it was completely unintentional." Kisame smirked as he pulled my leg into his lap. My body betrayed me and blushed at the awkward situation. Kisame didn't notice as he hands ghosted over my thigh, checking the bandages and the splints put in.

Another gasp of pain emitted from my mouth as his hand moved down to my lower leg, causing it to explode in a wave of agony, there's no way I would be able to walk for weeks, much less run away from this guy.

"Okay so I lied." Kisame suddenly confessed, a sly grin coving his face. "I did mean to brake your leg but only so you couldn't run away and I wouldn't have to chase after you."

_'D-definitely sadist' _I thought as he push my leg off his lap. I watched warily as he pulled himself up and leaned against a stalagmite lining the caves coarse walls.

Grunting I slowly sat up only to fall back down, hitting my head on the cold floor.

"Careful now," Kisame chided. "I can't have you killed before you full fill your purpose."

"And just what would that be?" I asked, no... demanded, my voice firm.

"Cheeky little thing aren't ya?" Kisame chuckled and in less than a second his hand whipped to the side grabbing a giant wrapped sword that escaped my attention on till now. Another second passed, the tip of the sword pressed into the soft flesh of my neck. I was both amazed and stunned at his incredible speed despite his towering size and large build. "This is why I prefer to chop off peoples heads, there less annoying this way."

"Nnegh" I groaned as the sword dug deeper into my neck drawing blood. I was utterly helpless. I couldn't move a single inch as I laid there on my back, my life literally in his hands. The blood dripped down my neck, pooling around my head and shoulder, dyeing my light pink hair a darker crimson red.

"Kisame!" A light male voice came from the cave entrance. Kisame grinned and shyly apologized to the voice. With a great heave he pulled his sword off of my neck and stepped aside giving me full view of the new comer.

Uchiha Itachi.

"Hello Sakura-san" Itachi greeted dryly. He walked over to me, giving Kisame a sideways glance before pulling a roll of bandages from a pack hanging on his belt. "Kisame-san please lift her head up." Itachi wiped the blood off my neck with his sleeve and started to unroll the badages.

As the whole procedure continued, Kisame holding my head up and Itachi bandaging it I couldn't help but feel like it was all some deranged hallucination, dreamed up by my mind to cope with the lack of nutrients from going who knows how long with out food and water.

"Kisame-san." Itachi turned his head to glare at his partner after tyeing off the bandage. "I thought I told you not to harm her."

"Hey, it's not my fault she's feisty." Kisame said, I scowled in disgust as he patted my head like some tame animal.

Itachi let out a long sigh, and looking directly at me he asked. "Do you know why we have kidnapped you?"

"N-no." I stuttered like a child faced with a big bully, I wasn't brave anymore after what Kisame did to me. I didn't want to know what someone like Itachi, who killed his entire clan in one night, do to me.

"Leader-sama had ordered us to capture you to gather information on your village and use you as bait to draw out the kyuubi."

"Kyuubi?" I asked confused, I never heard of the kyuubi.

"Think about it." Itachi prompted me.

I thought long and hard, the name kyuubi was oddly familiar with me but I just couldn't remember why. Then a thought struck me, Naruto told me once that the Akatsuki was after something within him. Could whatever was in Naruto be this... Kyuubi? Kyuubi... yes of course, I knew the name was familiar. The kyuubi, a mythical chakra beast that attacked Konoha 15 years ago.

_'Ugh, I'm so confused...'_ I closed my eyes, trying to gather my thoughts. Itachi seemed to have sensed my thoughts for he remained silent, letting me put two and two together.

_'So the kyuubi is a chakra beast... inside Naruto?'_ The more I thought about it the more it made sense. Like that time in wave country on the bridge, I had sensed malignant chakra, I always thought it was Kakashi-sensei doing that but now that I think about it, the chakra was too... too evil to belong to Kakashi.

And there was that time in the forest of death when Naruto was fighting that snake, Orochimaru. The chakra that time... and from the time on the bridge... it was definitely the same.

Then there was the chunin exams when Naruto was fighting Neji. It all had to be connected. So the kyuubi really is inside of Naruto. Is that why the entire village ostracized him? Why he wants to become Hokage so badly?

"Naruto..." I breathed, this was starting to become way too much for me. Sasuke, his brother and the fish and finally Naruto.

"Correct" Itachi placed his cold hand on my forehead. "Good, you're no longer running that fever."

"Fever?"I questioned, looking from the elder Uchiha and his blue partner. Kisame chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, you've been asleep for two day's straight running a high fever."

So that means I haven't eaten in four days. As if on que my stomach growled. Kisame grinned as he pulled something for a bag much like the one Itachi had and handed it to me. I eyed the plump white cloth in his large hands as he pushed it to me.

"Go on," He cooed. "Take it, it's food."

Even if I was starving I wasn't going to take food from criminals. I politely rejected the offering, turning my head away from them.

"You need to eat." Itachi insisted, grasping my shoulder. I defiantly shook my head,refusing to look at either of them.

"Itachi-san" Kisame said as he set the cloth down next to me. "Why don't we see if we can get her to talk first?"

_'Talk? Thats right, they want me to tell them everything I know about my village. Well there's no way I'll tell them anything!_'

_'You're a waste of time.' _My teeth clenched as I remembered Sasuke's last words to me. _'Someone like you has no place in the shinobi world and is only a waste.'_

_'I'll show you what a waste I am Sasuke.'_ I mentally growled. I'll show you whose a waste of time!!

"Who is the current Hokage?" Itachi said quickly, his hand snatched my chin, forcing me to stare into his red eyes.

I didn't even bat an eyebrow as the genjutsu took over me. Everything around me bleed into endless black. I couldn't see a thing in the pitch black.

I closed my eyes forcing chakra into my brain, repelling the jutsu. I vaguely heard Itachi mutter something to Kisame, something about chakra and Samehada? I couldn't tell for I could only hear their voices through the darkness.

I screamed in pain as I felt my injured arm split wide open, blood gushed forth from the wound

_It's only a genjutsu'_ I thought desperately, it was all an illusion, it was not real! I have to dispel it! Focusing with all my might I ignored my arm and tried to focus my chakra."

"Keep draining her chakra Kisame-san" Itachi ordered.

"Right away Itachi-san." I heard Kisame say as a more pain erupted from my arm, a fresh wound opened up on my arm.

I suddenly felt faint, my energy slowly slipping away from me.

"That's enough Kisame." Itachi ordered. I felt something grab my other arm squeezing it tightly. "Now tell us, who is the Hokage."

The pain took over my mind, begging me to tell and end my horrid misery. Blood flowed freely from my broken arm and Itachi's finger nails dug deeply into the other. The pain was unbearable, every inch of my body cried out in protest. Just when the pain became absolutely intolerable I had to speak_,_ anything so long as my misery would end. I opened my mouth to speak when Sasuke spoke for me.

_'Yes, that's right Sakura.' _He sneered at me. _'Go and sequel every little detail you know about the village, then they'll heal your wounds and take care of you.'_

No! I shut my mouth, refusing to open it.

"Tell us." Itachi's voice turned ice cold as his grip tightened. Not even a gasp of pain eluded my will as I resisted.

"It's not working Itachi-san" Kisame noted, a surge of pride fulled me at his words. I was always good at fighting genjutsu.

"Then it's settled, well hand her over to Sasori-san."

The genjutsu faded away as Itachi and Kisame's faces came into view. I quickly glance over at my broken arm, the bandages were pure white, clean and untouched. So was my other arm, it really was an illusion.

"Listen here girly," Kisame patted my check. "Me and Itachi-san here are much nicer than Sasori-san so you better tell us everything we need to know."

"Never." I growled. "I'll never tell you anything."

"And why not?" The grin was wiped clean off the shark man's face,

I turned my head, ignoring Kisame completely and staring Itachi rebelliously into his sharingan eyes. "To prove him wrong... Uchiha Sasuke."

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Ooh! Another chapter had flown by. What surprises meet this pink haired ninja next?

Next time:

Chapter 3: Akasuna no Sasori.


	3. Akasuna no Sasori

Yosh!! A third chapter! Yeah and truthfully guys I'm writing this story partially just to avoid studying for my exams with are....tomorrow... yeah... well wish me luck and please leave me a review. I begg of you.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Naruto.**

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Chapter 3:**Akasuna no Sasori.**

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It first when I first opened my eyes I thought that I was once again in Uchiha Itachi's genjutsu but after several moments my eyes adjusted to darkness and I could vaguely make out the form of my body set in an upright position against a stone wall, it was very much unlike the Uchiha's genjutsu where it was utterly pitch black.

Speaking of Itachi... after I my little outburst back at that cave, when I told him that I had to prove his brother wrong he instantly punched me, knocking me out cold. I lifted my good arm, rubbingmy sore jaw where his fist made contact.

I tried to lift my other arm but I got no response from it, panic bubbled up inside of me as I in vain tried to lift my arm, not only would it move but I couldn't even feel it, it was like it didn't even exist. Now I was certainly panicking. I tried to move my leg but it was the same as my arm. Completely lifeless.

I had lost two of my limbs in less then a week, the thought scared me silly. A high pitched humorless laugh let lose from my open mouth, filling the small room with mad, hysteric, laughter.

_'No... no...'_ I hung my head against my chest, tears threating to flow freely. No, I can't snap now, not after I have gone so far, I resisted Uchiha Itachi, the infamous ninja that killed his entire clan in one night and I resisted his interrogation.

_'You resisted Itachi?'_

My breath hitched in my throat. Why, why now of all times must "he" come in. Why must he torment me!

_'Don't get so proud of yourself just because he went easy on you. He went easy on you'_

"Why!" I screamed, my voice echoing off the walls. "WHY WOULD HE DO THAT!" I banged my good arm against the wall, cutting it on a jagged piece off rock sticking out off it.

"Shit." I cursed, sucking on the wound, cringing on the metallic taste of my own blood. I've gone mad. I've gone bloody mad.

_'You truly are weak'_

"SHUT UP!" I want you out of my head, out of my life!

_'You don't even deserve pity.'_

"I don't need your pity." I cursed him, I cursed him a thousand times and million deaths upon his soul. Why, why must he do this to me. All I ever did was love him and yet he always scorned me, looked down upon me and treated me like some mongrel dog that had no place in the world other than to fed off others.

_'Now your getting it.' _He laughed, it wasn't a pleasant laugh, no it was more like the laugh of a hyena. Crazed and wild.

"No..." I flopped over one to my side welcoming the feel of the cold stone floor on my face. I breathed in deeply carefully considering my situation and what I should do next.

Okay think Sakura, remember what Irkua-sensei taught you back at the academy. First you check all available weapons with or around you.

With my free arm I patted the empty spot on my thigh where my kunai pouch onces rested.

_Okay so no kunai.'_ I thought it safe to assume that Itachi, Kisame and whoever else in the Akatsuki had removed all of my weapons.

Is there anything around me I can use. With a jolt I remembered my bleeding hand. I quickly groped the spot where I had cut my hand on the sharp rock. Within seconds I felt the jutting rock piece, I stared at the spot in the dim light, the rock was fairly thin and extended about five inches. Maybe with some force I can snap it off and use it as primitive knife, a crude weapon but better than nothing.

I gasped the rock and using my weight I pulled down on it, I grunted and tugged at the rock, finally after several moments of pulling I gave up. The rock with thin, no more than and inch wide but it was incredibly strong.

_'It's pointless, there's no way you can stand up to the Akatsuki, a weak shinobi disgrace such as yourself.' _Sasuke jeered from in my mind.

_'At least I tried.' _I countered.

_'If something is hopeless then it's hopeless. Give up'_

_'There had to be more rocks jutting out like that'_ I thought, diverting my thoughts away from him, maybe I could find another one, one that was thinner. I continued to grope up and around the wall nearest to me, my searching space with limited to everything with in reach of my good right arm for my dead limbs refused to move, it was like a heavy anchor, keeping me firmly in one place.

After blindly flinging my hand against the wall about me my hand cut on another rock. A small grin made it's self apparent on my lips as I felt the rock. It was thinner than the first but about half an inch shorter. Grasping the rock tightly in the palm of my hand I pulled down upon it, lifting myself up in the process, in a matter of seconds the rock snapped and I landed with a soft thunk on the ground.

My smile grew as I set the crude rock knife to the side of me, feeling it with my hand. It had lost another half and inch when in snapped, making it a measly 3 and a half inches long but it was sharp and it was a weapon.

Now I need to hide it. I needed to put it somewhere easily accessible. I was considering possible places when I heard the sound of faint footsteps. Thinking quickly I stuffed the knife into the shoe of my dead right leg and feigned sleep.

There was a series clanking sounds, like the rattling of chains. There was a snapping of bolts and light flooded the room. I did the best I could not to react to the unforeseen explosion of light but my eyes squinted anyways.

"So you are awake, h'm?" Said a smooth, deep male voice. I knew it was pointless to continue my charade so I opened my eyes, eager to see the face of my captor. I knew one thing and that it was definitely not Itachi or Kisame.

Leaning against the frame of the door about ten feet away directly across from me was a handsome, young male, probably a few years older than me with soft feminine looks and beautiful blond hair that even Ino would be jealous of, heck even his face is something worth of envy.

"Like what ya see, h'm?" He grinned suggestively at me. I stiffened instantly and turned away from him. "What's that matter?" He asked taking evenly paces steps towards me. In one swift movement he had cupped my chin in his hands and turned my face side to side, examining me.

"Let go of me..." I growled, itching to pull the knife from my shoe and stab him.

"Heh, Kisame was right about you." He slid his had over my check and on to me hair gasping my short hair, pulling on it gently. "You are feisty, h'm. But that will change, after a few seconds with Sasori no danna you'll be begging for your life."

"Never!" I shrieked and with my good arm I slapped him right smack across his perfect little face.

"you...bitch!" He said disoriented. He tugged violently on my hair, riping out a clump of strands. I hiss in pain, clutching his hand, trying desperately to pull him off. He grabbed my head with his other hand and threw me hard against the wall. My head landing mere centimeters away from the jutting rock piece I cut my hand on. While I had missed fetal injury multiple cuts broke out across the skin as it tore against the rough and jagged wall.

A sharp dizzying sensation permeated throughout my entire body. I felt a warm tickling sensation sprinkle down the side of my face and down the wall.

The male spoke incoherent words to me, his words sounded mulled and warped like tumbling rocks.

There was a flash of movement and a loud booming as the door closed. Once again I was surrounded in a vigil of darkness.

_'You should just bleed to death'_

_'Shut up Sasuke'_

_'He's right, Itachi may have gone easy on you but the other Akatsuki wont.'_

_'Bring it'_

_'Don't try to be brave you fool.'_

_'Just you wait, Sasuke, I'll show just how strong I am!'_ As if to prove my point I pushed him far away from my mind.

Choosing instead to examine the wound dealt on to me by that guy. I wasn't surprised to feel the warm wetness of my blood. Carefully I turned over onto my back, using my good arm and leg to shift my dead limbs. I grasped the bottom of my shirt and with a quick tug I tore off a decent sized strip. It wasn't as long as I had hoped it would be, I couldn't see it for my eyes had yet to adjust to the dark again but from feel alone it was the length of my hand, Not enough to tie around my head but big and thick enough to at least cover it.

I gritted my teeth as I placed the silky fine fabric on my injury. Pressing as hard as I could while enduring the pain. I figured how long it would take for me to bleed to death and what I came up with was not pleasant.

I had lost too much blood this past week, at least from my view point. Not only was I weak and exhausted my stomach growled angrily in protest for missing days of proper meals.

That was may next problem, dehydration. I licked my dry lips, feeling my dried mouth. For a moment I considered drinking my own blood, barbaric but if it saved me from an early death of dehydration then I'll take any chance I could get.

Before I could even gather another thought the door to my cell slammed open once again. I half expected it to be the same man from before, ready to finish the job he started.

It wasn't the man from before, this guy was different. He was a few inches shorter and had short cropped crimson red hair, the color of blood.

"Hanruo Sakura?" The male questioned, like the other guy he was incredibly handsome.

I let my head roll to the side, letting my eyes speak for me.

"Please forgive my partner for what he did, he can be too much of a hot head sometimes. Don't worry about him again, I made sure to punish him for what he did." His voice was even and smooth with no breaks. I wonderd blankly how he breathed.

In a matter of moments he was by my side turning my head to see the full damage of my head injury.

"That brat." He cursed as he pulled a thick, white strips of cloth from a pouch hanging from his waist and tied then around her head, covering her wound. "We were ordered to keep you alive, not beat you half to death." His eyes flickered to her dead arm and leg.

"W-who... are...you" I asked, coughing up blood as I did so. I scrutinized his face, and Akatsuki cloak.

"I'm sure Kisame or Itachi have told you already about me." He looked down on her with a phlegmatic smile.

"Akasuna... no Sasori?" I guessed.

"Correct." He grabbed my face, turning my head to face him. "Now tell me everything about your village."

_'Not this again.'_ I gulped, my mouth felt drier than a barren wasteland. I needed water soon or else.

"I'm not very patient so you better give me an answer soon. It will only get worse from here on out."

"No..." I croaked, my voice faltering. Sasori's expression twitched, it lasted for only a moment but it was a powerful expression of pure annoyance. I cringed involuntary as I watched breathlessly, fear bubbling up inside of me as he regained control of his emotions.

"humph, if that's the way you want it then so be it." He reached back into his pouch and pulled out a small cream colored vial and a white cloth. I recognized that cloth as the bread Kisame had offered me who knows how long ago.

Even though the little voice in my head told me not to I grabbed the white parcel, tearing it open and biting ravenously into the soft food. I inhaled the bread more then ate it. Next he handed me the vial which proved to be water, that disappeared faster than the bread.

"Kisame wasn't kidding when he said you haven't eaten in four days." Sasori mused, a slight smile of amusement pulling at the corners of his mouth.

I ignored him, visualizing more food and water. I was about to ask for more when "his" voice rang loud in my head like the ringing of a gong.

_'Look at you'_ he sneered. _'Begging your captors for food. A real shinobi would not only eat the food but could hold out for days longer with out eating.'_

"Do you want more food?" Sasori asked her, taping my check with the back of his hand, a chill ran down my spine at just how cold and rough his hand felt.

"No..." I said, willing my hunger away. Sasori didn't believe my lie, I was hungry and he knew it.

"Then I guess that you wouldn't mind it if I left this here." He backed a step or two away form me, pulling out more vials and packages of bread. He set them down gently on the ground, just within my reach.

He said no more as he walked out but just as he was about to close the door he stared her directly into the eye. "Once we're done with you I will add you to my collection." With that he left me behind, alone in the darkness, pondering his last words.

"Collection?"

* * *

Muahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa! I have no why I'm laughing but I AM!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA.

Now review!!! Review or else!!!!! Pretty please????

Next time!

Chapter 4: Unexpected ally.


	4. Unexpected Ally

Yosh! I am just flying through this story! Then again I'm also ignoring my other stories..... WELL LET'S GET THIS CHAPTER GOING!!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! Only in a perfect world would I never own it.

Chapter 4: Unexpected ally.

* * *

"But granny Tsunade!" Naruto whined, slamming his fists down on the hard wood of Godaime Hokage's desk. The neat stacks of papers placed their by the ever faithful Shizune scatted in the air when Naruto swept them aside in his anger. "They kidnapped Sakura-chan because of me!"

Tsunade could only stare sadly into the young blonds pure, blue eyes as she told him again and again. " I'm sorry Naruto but the village is still recovering from Orochimaru's attack and the Akatsukis infiltration. All shinobi jounin level and up are all out on important S-rank missions."

"You got so send somebody! Send me!" Naruto pleaded.

"I can't do that Naruto." Tsunade said slowly, it hurt her to not be able to do anything for the kid. "But I'm afraid that chunins are too weak to take on such opponents as the Akasuki and I can't send you for they're after your head." Tsunade pushed herself up from her red chair and turned to look out the window.

"But-" Naruto continued, Tsunade cutting him off with a wave of her hand. She watched the village down below her, thinking. She knew that sooner or later she would have to make a tough decision like this. The Akatsuki had only kidnapped a female genin and to use all village resources just to retrieve her would be unthinkable.

Then again to not try everything to save that genin would be inhuman, as much as shinobi are thought of as tools of war they are still people.

"Naruto..." Tsunade trailed off as she watched a hawk fly though the clear sky, it was a beautiful day. "Today a jounin team should be returning from a b-rank mission and in three days I'll send them back out to search for Sakura."

"Three days!" Naruto yelled in outrage, jumping over her desk he grabbed Tsunade by the collar. "We can't waste a second! Who knows what they're doing to Sakura-chan!"

"Naruto be reasonable!" Tsunade slapped aside his hands, standing tall she looked down at him. "They will need time to rest and regenerate. Would you rather I send no one at all!" Tsunade stared him hard in the eye. "In three days, I will send a team to rescue her."

Naruto believed Tsunade would stand by her word, there was something in her tone of voice, it contained the demeanor of a leader. He stared hopelessly into Tsunade's eyes knowing full well she would never go back on her word.

"Whatever." Naruto pouted, without another word he turned and left, slamming the door shut behind him.

Moments later Shikamaru entered the room. He took one look from Tsunade to the papers laying scattered all around. He sighed deeply.

"So I was called over here as paper boy" He took another deep breath and leaned against the door frame, his eyes half closed. "What a drag."

"Shikamaru." Tsunade said quickly. Shikamaru rather sluggishly stood up at attention.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." He yawned.

"You're first mission as a chunin is to keep an eye on Naruto Uzumaki."

"Can I pick up papers instead?"

"No."

"What a drag"

* * *

"I don't care if granny Tsunade is going to send a team out, three days is way too long." Naruto mumbled, standing under the gates of Konoha. It was early morning, the sun peeking out from behind the Hokage mountains. He decided last night that he was going to go and search for Sakura-chan all on his own. She was his precious friend and because of him she was kidnapped.

"I'm sorry granny." Naruto mumbled, looking at the Hokage's mansion. "But Sakura-chan needs me." Gathering his courage he started forward prepared to take out the entire Akatsuki if necessary, that is until something stopped him.

"Just where are you going?"

Naruto spun around to come face to face with Shikamaru. "Don't try to stop me!" Naruto dared, ready to fight if he had to.

Shikamaru yawned, his shoulders slouched. "Why must you go this early?" He inquired.

"Because granny Tsunade would try to stop me!" Naruto said instantly.

"Naruto...." Shikamaru sighed. "You're too troublesome... and you can't save Sakura."

"Just watch!" Naruto yelled despite the fact he was trying to sneak out of the village quietly. "I'll save Sakura-chan! Just you see!"

"Too troublesome," Shikamaru yawned again. "Can you let me finish speaking first? I was going to say you can't save Sakura... on your own."

As if by cue six figures jumped out from behind the gates and lined up behind Shikamaru.

"Guys..." Naruto's eyes widened as recognized his friends, Ino, Choji, Hinata, Kiba, Shino and Lee.

"Sakura is strong Naruto, don't you worry for a second!" Ino cheered, punching the air.

"Yeah!" Choji added in for good measure.

"S-Sakura i-is sm-smart." Hinata stuttered shyly, her face red. "I-I'll h-help to the b-best o-of my a-abilities."

"Heh, Hinata has her eyes but me and Akamaru have our noses! We'll track Sakura down before you know it!" Kiba smirked and Akamaru barked from his perch at the top of Kiba's head.

"I will not be left out of such an important event." Shino said more to himself than the others.

Lee launched himself forward, stopping just inches before Naruto. "I swore on my life to protect Sakura-chan! I will free her from the dastardly and un-youthful clutches of the Akatsuki!" A fire burned in Lee's eyes as he ranted on and on about the powers of youth and ended with the sunset and water splashing backdrop.

"You guys..." Naruto was stunned, they had all come together to help him save Sakura. He felt the tears start to well up in his eyes, blinking he wiped them away and was now brimming with courage and determination. With a goofy grin on his face he punched the air. "Yeah! Let's go!"

With a nod from the others they were off. They speed off, Kiba leading the way was following Sakura's scent.

From the dark shadows of the tall village gates out stepped another figure. He had gone by unnoticed by the others. The wind blew harshly, sending a flurry of leaves into the air, from the leaves appeared another, taller figure.

"You're not going to follow them?" The taller asked the other.

"hn," The other figure said, staring at the spot where the eight genins stood.

"She was your teammate." The taller walked up next to the first figure, putting their hand on the others shoulder.

"I know.... Hokage-sama."

"Uchiha Sasuke...." Tsunade said gravely. "How would you like an S-rank mission?"

Sasuke remained silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts then finally he said. "What is it?"

* * *

The eight Konoha genin tree jumped throughout the entire night. They kept going on, energized by Kiba's constant support, telling them that Sakura's trail was getting stronger and stronger.

After hours of jumping from tree branch to tree branch, panting under that hot sun they stopped at small cave partly hidden around a large bush.

Kiba walked forward ahead of the group, sniffing the air. Akamaru gave a small whimper as a particular sent crossed his canine nose.

"Sakura was defiantly in this cave..." Kiba said gravely. "And Akamaru says that he smells blood"

The atmosphere darkened as the group moved in to check out the cave, after Hinata swept it clean of traps first of course. As they searched the cave top to bottom for clues Naruto's face held the look of someone lost in the wild with no direction and no way out.

Hinata noticed and moved closer to him to give support but as she moved her foot caught on a rock and she fell forward. She moved her hand out in front of her to catch herself but as her hand made contact with the ground the ground moved with it, or at least a small portion did.

Ino, Kiba and Naruto rushed to the girls side, helping her back up while the others examined the new found clue.

The piece of ground that had shifted was synthetic cloth, blending with the ground like a chameleon in the forest. Shikamaru pulled the fabric up, reveling a small folded up piece of manila paper.

"W-what is i-it?" Hinata asked, shocked that her blunder had unearth, quite literally, a new clue.

"It appears to be a note or message of some kind." Shikamaru reasoned, "Only way to know is to open it up."

"I-I d-don't see anything d-dangerous" Hinata said, examining the paper with her byakugan.

"Still, it's the Akatsuki we're dealing with. It's best to be careful anyways." Shikamaru turned the paper around in his hands, on the third rotation he slowly unfolded the paper. Everyone held their breath as the note came undone, one fold at a time.

"It looks like a message meant for other Akatsuki members." Shikamaru glanced up and down the note, skimming its contents.

"What dose it say! What dose it say!" Naruto jumped around Shikamaru's shoulders, twisting and turning to get a look at the note.

"Calm down," Shikamaru sighed. "I'll read it out loud. It says: Hanuro Sakura successfully captured."

Naruto's lower lip curled in anger, his fists clenched until they turned white.

"Resisted questioning..." Shikamaru paused, thinking, "They must mean Sakura. Sakura resisted questioning."

"What do you mean questioning!" Naruto asked, worried.

"Think you baka," Shikmaru said to the blond, his tone making it clear that he wasn't about to explain every little detail.

"They kidnapped Sakura because of me." Naruto growled. "They wanted to use her to get info on me!" Naruto's body trembled as his rage took over, the kyuubi's chakra leaking out.

"N-Naruto!" Hinata call out in alarm, her eyes seeing the malevolent chakra.

"Damnit!" Naruto howled, banging his fist on the wall. The entire cave shook, dust falling from the ceiling, on lose stalactite shook lose and missed Choji by centimeters.

"There's more to the note." Shikamaru quickly added, hoping to calm Naruto down, if he released all that energy with in this small cave the whole thing would cave it, crushing them all. "It says here they took Sakura to one of their bases, it gives coordinates and members currently occupying it."

"Who..." Naruto said darkly, capping his anger, poorly but enough to suffice.

"There's two of them, Akasuna no Sasori and Iwagakure no Deidara."

Naruto scratched his head, he had never heard of either of them. "So... just who are these guys?" Naruto asked, looking at Shikamaru. The lazy nin sighed and said.

"I remember being debriefed about members of Akatsuki a while back when two of their members tried to kidnapped you Naruto."

"Please tell us what you know." Lee said, a fire of determination burning in his eyes.

"Well..." Shikamaru began. "Iwagakure no Deidara is an ex-jonin of hidden rock village. From what we know his main skills are terrorism and uses explosives.

"Akasuna no Sasori was a famous puppet master from hidden sand village. He disappeared 20 years ago. It is believed that he joined Akatsuki. I guess this proves it."

"These guys don't sound so tough!" Ino scoffed, trying to lighten up the matter. It was mostly for Hinata who grew paler, and paler as Shikamaru spoke.

"We definitely need a plan." Shikamaru thought, his head already devising the right plan.

"Well you can think on the way there." Kiba announce from the cave entrance. "Me and Akamaru have picked up Sakura's trail again head north from here."

"Lets go then!" Naruto charged out of the cave and leaping into the air.

"Wait up Naruto!" Kiba called impatiently after following the blonds lead. "You're going to wrong way!"

The others left behind shook their head disapprovingly at the blondes excitement.

"Naruto needs to calm down." Ino complained, watching Kiba pound on Naruto who reluctantly returned, not being able to follow Sakura's trail on his own.

"But he's got the right idea." Shikamaru said, placing the note back under the cleverly disguised cloth, fiddling with it until it looked exactly as it was before. He received a few questioning glances from the others. "This message was obviously left behind for another Akatsuki to find. If we stick around here any longer we might just run into them."

"M-Maybe th-they were a-already h-here?" Hinata suggested shyly, she didn't like the idea of having to fight an Akatsuki.

"No." Shikamaru said lightly, standing up and with a quick beckon of his hand they followed him out of the cave. "If they were already here they would have destroyed the note."

"Hey! Are going to go find Sakura or what!" Naruto called impatiently as they grouped together outside in the bright after noon sun.

"Yeah, Kiba!" Shikamaru ordered, "You lead, Naruto you're right behind Kiba then I'll go. Ino you're after me and Hinata after her, Choji you hold up the rear. We don't know how far or how close we are to any Akatsuki to be sure to stay in formation. Hinata you need to keep a constant eye on behind. I don't want anyone to sneak up on us, if their Akatsuki and they catch us by surprise then we're all dead."

Everyone followed orders, even Hinata who looked like she was about to faint from having such an important job.

"Okay guys!" Kiba barked from the front of their line. "We should get going, Sakura's tail is faint from here on out, and we don't know how long it will still be here."

There were a few grunts and in an instant they jumped off the ground with chakra infused feet, and charged at an alarming speed from tree branch to tree branch.

They group traveled in silence, preferring to concentrate on their mission than focus on idle chatter. The mid day heat blew away as the night winds flew across the land, moving with the setting sun. The transition from day to night didn't falter their progress or their morale, they continued through that night and straight through morning the next day.

There was no time to stop and eat proper meals so breakfast that morning was a single solider pill each. No one complained though Choji stared profusely at his pill, as if by some miracle it would change into his favorite brand of chips.

As they continued through the day, stopping once or twice for Kiba and Akamaru to pick up Sakura's trail again when it suddenly shifted direction or stopped completely.

"S-someone's f-following us!" Hinata said suddenly. It was midday and the sun was at it's highest, they have been running for two whole days straight and at the sound that they were being followed was not very pleasant.

"Are you sure?" Shikamaru asked seriously, a plan already running through his head.

"D-definitely," Hinata said proudly, she was so worried that she would fail to see someone coming up from behind so she put all her attention to watching their backs, so much so that she tripped quite a few times. Once Choji had to catch her.

"Okay guys, go hide in the bushes and wait for my signal to move, wait until he runs past to move." So they followed Shikamaru's orders, even Naruto who was literally jumping in anticipation at the up coming fight.

"He's almost here!" Hinata whispered from behind Shikamaru. He, Hinata, Naruto and Ino were all concealed in a larger bush while Kiba, Shino, Lee and Choji lay crouched down in another twenty feet to their left.

"I can see him better now," Hinata whispered, there was no stutter in her voice, whether it was the adrenaline or simply she was caught up in the moment was anybodys guess. "Its-!" A gasp escape her lips ans Naruto grabbed her by the collar and shook her. Begging for her to tell them who it was. The shy girl merely pointed to the clearing as some bushes began to rustle.

_'Is it Akatsuki?' _Shikamaru asked himself, he had put it into account that there was a high chance of encountering the dangerous criminals. He girted his teeth as he hoped for the best, there only chance of ever defeating an Akatsuki was by ambush and a lot of luck but with their entire team consisting of genin rank if there was so much as one little mistake they could all end up dead.

The bushes rustled even more as a figure stepped out from them. All thoughts of surprise and plans ran from their minds as Ino jumped out of the bush yelling.

"Sasuke!" Ino jumped at Sasuke, pulling him into a tight bear hug. Naruto followed the blond out of the bushes ans so did the others. Shikamaru slapped his hand against his head. Did these people ever think that it could be some trap?

"Sasuke why are you here!" Ino quickly asked as Sasuke shrugged her off.

"Yeah, why are you here Sasuke?" Naurto repeated.

Sasuke stared at all of them in turn his eyes resting at the spot where Shikamaru still hid within the bush.

"I've come to help you find Sakura"

* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW! If you don't then no next chapter you will go for the rest of your life without knowing! And no thinking someone else will review.**

No slackers! I know your reading this story so review or else Gai will break into your room in the middle of the night and using a permanent sticking jutsu he will forever glue that green spandex suit to your bare skin!!!!

**Next time!**

Chapter 5: If there is evil in this world it lurks in the hearts of man.


	5. Evil lurks in the hearts of man

Me: Hello! Chapter 5 is here! Yay! Do a little dance everyone! Throw a party, get drunk off of pure water and review while your judgment or sense of what you're doing is low.

But before we start I have to explain something... as to which arm and leg of Sakura's are broken I don't believe that I have made it clear and I do apologize for that, truthfully even I can't remember which arm is good or no but I'm 99 percent sure that it's her left arm and right leg are broken. Sorry for any confusion.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and the title belongs to a quote from the video game Tales of Phatasia.** (and again I'm sorry about the title, I couldn't think of anything for this chapter so yea...)

* * *

Chapter 5: **If there is evil in this world it lurks in the hearts of man**

* * *

"Hello Sakura-san" Sasori's smooth satin voice filled the small cell s he stood in the doorway. I looked away, the sudden bright light stinging my soft emerald eyes. As I slowly adjusted to the light I gave him my fiercest glare.

Sasori walked further into my room with even paced steps, his face was perfectly black but a gleam in his eyes made me feel uneasy. He cast one simple look at my body as it layed on the floor, a slight frown in the corner of his mouth didn't escape my notice and he saw my dead left arm and right leg.

"You look awful." He dryly commented as he stood before me, his hard reddish brown eyes boring into me. Indignant rage roared with in me. Oh dare he say such a thing to me! He and the whole damed Akatsuki was to blame for my current condition.

But he was right, my once lustrous pink hair had faded to luster of dirt and was more tangled than a birds nest. Dirt caked on my skin, crumbling and breaking apart whenever I moved. I had never felt so filthy my entire life.

"How would you like a hot bath?"

At first I thought I was imagining things, there was no way my captor had just asked me if I wanted a bath. No, I shook my head incredulously. I had to be hallucinating, yes that's it, my incredible hunger and thirst was causing me to go crazy.

"Answer yes or no girl I'm not going to wait forever for you to think." Sasori snapped, as his glare upon me iced. An involuntary shiver ran down my spin. So my captor did ask me if I wanted a bath

What was the world coming to.

"No." I sharply answered after a short pause. Truthfully I really did want that bath but he was the enemy and I wasn't about to fall for their tricks. This surely had to be some trick, to make me drop my guard.

"Let me ask again." Sasori crouched down, meeting me at eye level. "If you tell me everything I need to know I will promise not to hurt you in any shape or form and let you sleep In a nice bed in a..." He cast his glance around the musty cell, frowning slightly at the slime covered walls. "nicer... room."

"What?" I asked disbelievingly.

"I'm not going to repeat myself." Sasori said cooly, eying me as if I was a pest wasting his precious time.

"I... I-" I felt ashamed to having stammered, showing my indecisiveness. It meant that I was breaking, it meant weakness.

"I'll be generous and give you some time to think it over." Sasori said quickly as he frowned at me. "When I come back I expect your answer." Without another word he left, not bothering to shut the door.

He had to be tormenting me, leaving my door wide open. Obviously he didn't expect me able to escape and sadly he was right.

I bit my lips as I forced away Sasuke's critical voice from my mind. When Sasori left me yesterday I swore to block him from my thoughts until I could prove to him that I was a true shinobi.

I sat there on the cold ground waiting for Sasori to return, there was no way I was going to accept his offer. No matter when, I will not give in. I flat out refuse to tell them anything! No amount of bribery will change that, not even a bath. A nice, warm... heavenly, no!

"No, no, no, no" I chanted under my breath, forcing the outrageous idea far from my mind. "I will not accept."

I needed to stop thinking about that stupid offer and do something more productive, yes productive._ 'I have weapon'_ I reminded myself feeling the knife hidden in my shoe. _'I need to think of an escape plan.'_

* * *

Sasori was bemused when he came back to Sakura's cells, he had purposely felt her door open as a test of sorts, to see whether she would have tried to escape in her current condition though he knew that was highly improbable.

So when he returned for her answer he wasn't shocked in the slightest to see her still there, in the same exact position he left her in. If there was anything to be shocked about it would be this entire mission. Just last week Leader gave him and Deidara their first mission in a long time. Deidara was thrilled, siting around in one of their plentiful bases for days with the closest thing to civilization 10 miles away the phrase "Cabin fever" did no justice to how Deidara felt.

He was like wise glad for the change of pace, not that he minded missions but while at the small base in the middle of nowhere he was able to work on more puppets tirelessly, not limited to working nights only. Working on his art in the day was highly impossible for they had to constantly keep moving to avoid detection from unwanted enemy ninja.

So in the end he and Deidara were ready for a change of pace, until they learned that their mission was to interrogate a Konoha genin.

"What is your answer Sakura-san." Sasori said short and to the point. Leader had ordered him to do this and quite frankly he hated it. If he had his way then he would have poisoned the girl right from the start with his latest concoction, a dreadful poison.

He watched her with blank interest as she inclined her head, ever so slightly, her determined emerald eyes boring into him. He could read people very well, he could tell when they were scared, when they were on the brink of insanity but this girl had something else, something he had never seem before in his victims eyes. He saw sheer will power and a vindictive spirit created from twisted emotions of love and hate.

"No..." Her soft voice whispered, "No" She repeated, her tone hardened as she glared at him with are her worth. "I'll never tell you anything!"

_Some genin'_ Sasori thought, a slight smirk on his face, _'full of surprises._' Sasori knew at that very instant that Sakura was a very smart genin, but still just a genin. Her little outburst had stunned him, if only for a moment, and that was enough for her to do something quite unexpected. Even in his shock he was still aware of everything going on around him. From her right shoe she pulled out a stone knife and threw the crude weapon at him. '_She's got good aim_.' Sasori thought as he pulled the stone from his stomach, and watched amusedly as the girl gasped in shock.

* * *

"How..." I couldn't help but find myself asking. How is it that it didn't even fazed him. Even if I couldn't throw at full power that attack should have still been fatal, I had aimed for a critical point in the gut.

"You are forgetting." His eyed my weapon, turning it over in his hands. "That I am an Akatsuki..." He trailed off, scanning the room around me, satisfaction filled his emotionless eyes as he found the source of the weapon, the jutting stone rocks littering the wall I leaned up against. "Clever..." He said slowly. "You are very clever... many ninja before you, some in much better condition than you have been in this room but none of them had ever thought to do such a thing."

"Are... are you... completing me?" I asked suspiciously, wondering if this was just another trap like the offer to lure me into a false sense of security.

"I am." Sasori said plainly, somehow his saying that took away from the impact of it. To think that an Akatsuki, an infamous S-rank criminal, complementing me. "But you should avoid repeating such actions in the future, I'll let is slide this time."

His words meant nothing to me for all my resolve left me when he tossed my makeshift weapon aside, clanking heavily against the stone floor. He wasn't human, none of the Akatsuki was. They were all monsters in their own right, demons that ruled the night.

It was the most terrifying moment of my life.

Every enemy I have come across was smart and strong but they all had their Achilles heel, something that made them flawed, human but this... this was insane, absolutely insane. How was I to face this monstrosity.

"Normally I am not a very patient person but since you are so persistent to fight I'll give you one more day until I start the real torture." Sasori gave me a complementing look before leaving my cell.

I didn't know if it was pure luck or fate that Sasori decided to put of questioning me, I shiver at the thought of what "real torture" meant. They taught us all about the many torture techniques used by enemy ninja. Tricks to make shinobi speak like genjutsu illusions or, a image of Ibiki's head ran threw my mind like ice, physical abuse.

I didn't want to think about all the things Sasori would do to me tomorrow, but it was like smoking, once you start you can't stop. Maybe that was why he gave me another day, the wait alone knowing full well that by this time tomorrow I will be forced to revel secrets about my village and Naruto by any means necessary.

"I need another plan." I whispered to myself, making it more firm in my mind, collecting my thoughts together I thought of my possibility. When I tried to kill Sasori I knew that even if I did succeed that I still had no chance of escaping but if I was to go down I sure as hell was going to take an Akatsuki with me.

I no longer had the element of surprise and I was out of options.

"Dinner is here!" I bright preppy and very familiar voice rang out, shattering my thoughts. My head snapped up to see the blond male from before walking through the door way with a tray filled with food. "What?" He remarked, smirking at my obvious confusion. "It's dinner time right? You must be hungry."

Acting like nothing happened between us like my slapping him and his calling me a bitch he set the tray down on the ground if front of me and held a small, green porcelain cup to my lips.

"Drink, its tea and it's not poisoned." He lightly pushed the rim of the cup against my lips, and I drank. I couldn't help it, I was thirsty. The last time I had anything to drink was the vials of water Sasori gave me yesterday and even so it did almost nothing to quench my thirst.

"Good girl," Deidara pulled the cup from my lips and lifted a bowl of rice, a pair of chopsticks in his hand. Did he expect to feed me? I wasn't about to let a criminal hand fed me. Defiantly I snatched the bowl from his hands and set it down on my lap.

"I can feed myself..." I muttered darkly, glaring at the chopsticks in his hands. He smiled, flashing his perfect white teeth as he placed the chopsticks into the bowl.

I watched him with wary eyes as I ate, I enjoyed the meal, knowing very well that it could be my last considering I could be killed tomorrow. When I had started eating he crab crawled backwards giving me some space.

"Deidara." He said suddenly, his eyes focused intently on me.

"What?" I asked, finishing the last bite of rice.

"My name, Deidara." His yes never left me as he spoke, his chin resting on his arm draped lazily across his knee. His position was very relaxed, his face passive.

"What are you telling me this." I asked suspiciously, this was the guy that talked to me like a slut right? Why is he acting so strangely. I mentally slapped myself for that one. He's an Akatsuki, of course he's strange.

"I'm sorry about before." He said frowning. "I was angry alright." He added quickly, relief rushed through me as he looked away, his eyes closed in thought.

"Angry?" I questioned, what could I say? Curiosity got the best of me, besides, maybe I can learn a few things about this Akatsuki and report my finds about to Tsunade-sama. If I ever get out of here that is.

"Yeah, After spending who knows how long couped up in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere with your partner who you do nothing but fight with can get on your nerves after a while." He paused checking to see if I was still following, satisfied that I was he continued. "So when Leader contacted us, saying we got a new mission I was so glad to get out of that cabin I almost set it on fire-if danna didn't stop me I would have- but it was all for nothing. Instead of some dangerous, adrenaline pumpin' mission I get stuck playing mind games with a genin."

I felt a slight pang for Deidara but that was promptly smothered by the intensity of my situation. Meaning I'm imprisoned with only a arm and leg, wallowing in my own filth, which reminded me of another one of my predicaments, it has been day's since I used that bathroom and my bladder felt like it would burst.

"I guess I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you..." Deidara contemplated quietly as a strange feeling bubbled up inside of me.

I felt pity for him, and I had no clue why. He and the organization he belonged to was the reason I was ever here in the first place. I shouldn't be feeling pity or sympathy, if anything I should be angry. But siting here, digesting the wonderful-if bland- food Deidara has brought me I couldn't help but think of him as human.

Albeit if just a little.

"So tell me, yeah." Deidara said casually, flashing me a cheeky smile. "What you did to make Sasori spare you a day?"

Not hesitating I told him of the entire scene between Sasori and I. Telling it in much detail, even the part where he complemented me. Deidara's eyes brows raised so far up his face that I was sure that they were going to go past his hair.

"Danna complemented you!?" Deidara asked, his mouth agape. Slightly disturbed I nodded, it was weird talking to my captor but Deidara felt so normal, I couldn't help but feel relaxed. Besides, talking to Deidara almost, just barely, in the most impossible way felt like I was talking with Naruto. Maybe it was because they were both blond with blue eyes.

"Danna had never complemented me, un" Deidara looked more crestfallen the more he thought about it. "I can't believe danna complemented you, a genin, and not me. I've been his partner for years! And the closest thing he ever said to a complement was." He paused for half a second before doing a somewhat decent imitation of Sasori. "I don't give a damn about your art brat."

"I fail to see the complement in that." I said slowly, trying to figure out some hidden meaning in the words.

"I didn't think you would." Deidara said knowingly. "Sasori-no-danna and I have very differing views of art. He believes that art should be eternal." he faked a blanch. "While I... I believe that art should be fleeting."

"Eternal? Fleeting?" I didn't understand Deidara, while he seemed the most normal of the Akatsuki- well the ones I met so far- he was by far the weirdest. What kind of criminal talks about art?

"Yeah." Deidara explained. "Sasori-no-danna believes that art is eternal, lasting forever, bunch of hogwash if you ask me. Art is fleeting, lasting for only a moment before it explodes at its highest, grandest moment!" Deidara's voice escalated as he spoke more and more enthusiastically about his art, almost to the point of shouting.

"Deidara!" Sasori's sharp voice cut of Deidara's art speech. "What are you doing?" Sasori looked from Deidara to the empty tray of food next to me, his eyes held a terrifying anger.

"Jus' talkin' yeah" Deidara smiled innocently at the redhead, it was clear that that answer wasn't the one Sasori was looking for but before he could speak Deidara added. "I gave her some dinner, yeah. I figured that someone who actually eats should be the one to feed her."

I smartly kept my mouth shut as Deidara and Sasori argued, all the while learning a few very interesting and surprising things about Sasori.

Like that fact that he doesn't need to eat...

Or sleep...

and something about wooden parts?

I couldn't understand Deidara and Sasori's argument anymore, I was still trying to wrap my brain around all the things I learned about Sasori. He defiantly wasn't human. My old fears and panic from before came rushing back.

Suddenly there was a loud slamming sound as the clunky metal door to my cell slammed shut, the faint muffled sounds of Deidara and Sasori still arguing slowly fading away.

I definitely had a different opinion about the Akatsuki now. They were still the cold blooded killers that Naruto told me about but now I knew that they had thoughts and feelings that just didn't revolve around killing and destruction. I had always saw them as pure evil, but now I see that I was wrong.

I hated thinking about them like this, seeing them in a better light but I had to. If I didn't think of them like this then they seemed all the more human and less like monsters,

But Sasori was the one exception.

No amount of emotion in his body could change the ever growing imaging of him in my mind as a horrifying monster from the nightmares I always had when I was little only this time I could not wake up, this time I could scream and never wake up.

* * *

Me: ugh this took so long to write... well please don't let my efforts go in vain.** Please review**! I always get so happy whenever I go to e-mail and see new messages in my in-box.

Review's keep this story going! If you truly love this story then review to show it!


	6. Nothing to fear but fear itself

Me: Hello dear readers! Just so you guys know I'm probably going to finish this story before working on my others, so please don't be mad for those of you following my many other stories.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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**Chapter 6: Nothing to fear but fear itself

* * *

"Just how much farther is it!?" Naruto called out to Kiba who was leading their group. The dog nin only glanced at Naruto briefly before turning his glare to Sasuke who jumped along side Naruto.

Kiba didn't trust Sasuke, neither did Shino, Shikamaru and Choji. Naruto and Ino however were ecstatic, Hinata was neutral in the matter but anything that made Naruto happy made her happy as well.

"I can't tell, I lost the trail a while ago, I'm hoping that if we continue on from here we'll pick it up again." From beside Kiba Akamaru gave a promising bark.

"Is it possible that the tail shifted off to the side?" Shikamaru asked, numerous thoughts running through his mind, ever since Sasuke joined their little group he had been trying to incorporate the Uchiha into his plans but all his plans requires quite a lot of self control on Sasuke's part. He reasoned that the chances of running into the elder Uchiha was high and from what Naruto has told him about Sasuke and his brother, Sasuke becomes blind with rage and attacks haphazardly.

"I thoughts so too but on out way here the sent backtracked and curved so many times I lost count but each and every time it always curved back around to this direction." Kiba explained.

"I see..." Shikamaru said thoughtfully, "Hinata do you see anything?" The pale eyed heiress shook her head but her face still portrayed hesitance. "Are you sure?" Shikamaru he had a bad feeling in his stomach, something wasn't right.

"W-well..." Hinata stammered, her brows scrunched together. "I-I think I can s-see something b-but it's just outside of m-my range and it's r-really f-faint but I th-think that I can s-see ch-chakra in the air around us."

"Are you sure?" It wasn't Shikamaru that asked but the stotic Sasuke who seemed to be thinking the same thing as him. A very large and expertly placed genjutsu.

"I-I d-don't know..." Hinata admitted ashamed, a light blush of embarrassment blooming across her face.

"Let's stop guys." Shikamaru ordered as Sasuke's eyes bleed from rich onyx to red.

There was an eerie silence between the genin as Sasuke looked calmly around them.

"Shit!" The Uchiha cursed but too late.

"Nice try kid." A deep, gargling voice snickered as an invisible force knocking Hinata and Ino into a tree. Kiba and Naruto ran to the girls side only to be brushed aside none to gently and thrown to the ground.

Shikamaru cursed as he dispelled the jutsu and saw their attacker or should he say attackers, Uchiha Itachi and Kisame.

"Itachi!" Sasuke howled, his red eyes blazing fiercely. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Not very creative with battle cries are you?" Kisame chuckled at Sasuke charging up his chidori.

"Kisame leave him to me." Itachi said, stepping lightly between his partner and brother. "Please take care of those brats and remember not to kill the kyuubi vessel."

Kisame laughed lightly, giddy at the though of the upcoming battle. He heaved Samehada off his back, telling Itachi not to worry.

And the battle begun

* * *

"Your grace day is up."

_I'm ready_

"Do expect I'll go easy on you just because you are a child"

_I never expected you to_

"You will tell me everything you know"

_Never._

The silence between us was not awkward or uncomfortable, in fact, if anything, it spoke volumes. I vowed to myself last night that not a single syllable will escape my lips. I didn't wince or resist as he stuck a needle into my arm, injecting vile purple liquid.

"Tell Sakura-san." Sasori pulled the needle out, thin tendril of blood spilling from the puncture. "What do you fear?"

I didn't answer but I did think about.

_'Losing Sasuke'_ I instinctively thought first, but I already lost him. I am alone and far from my home and loved ones. My heart was broken and my body half dead. What do I have to fear? I am already living in my fears.

"This poison is my latest creation." Sasori said, a deep pride at his poison genius in his voice. "It attacks the Amygdala in cerebellum." He paused watching me expectingly. "I suspect you don't know what those are, parts of the brain and their functions are not exactly ninja training coarse material. Then this will be a educational experience for you."

"EIAH!" I screamed as a violent tremor charged throughout my body. I felt cold, really cold. My skin crawled as a acute sensation of millions of tiny ice daggers digging into my skin. Another scream of pain erupted from my lips as sporadic red and white dots flash across my vision, my body clenched and unclenched randomly. It contorted into one twisted potion to another. "MAKE IT STOP!" I screamed bloody murder as the dim light of the dark room burned brighter as if I was staring at a large mini sun.

"Just a small side affect, it shouldn't last long." Sasori reassured me as I felt my body curl into a ball, pain ricocheting up and down inside of me, my heart speed and my lungs burned. The pain was too much! "It's almost over... and then the real fun will begin."

Then I knew nothing, I couldn't feel my body, it was as if my body never excised, all the pain from before was gone but this, this unfeeling sensation scared me more. I could feel nothing at all, not even the cold floor that was once below me. It was like I was floating in empty black space.

_'Am I dead?'_ I thought, and maybe I was. Maybe Sasori's poison was flawed and I'm now dead. A dark brewing feeling of portentous measure crawl through me, filling me with thoughts of foreboding.

A mangled high pitched cry like that screeching of a cat mixed with the metallic scrape of metal on metal. It was the hunting cry of a monster who prowls the night, feasting upon the blood of its adversaries.

I felt my heart sink all the way to my stomach as I heard the cry escalate, approaching closer and closer. The enigmatic being howled my name

"Sssssakurrrra!" I curdled, hissing the 's' and rolling the 'r's. "Sssssakurrrra!"

Fear griped me in it's icy hold, I cried out desperately to run but I couldn't feel my legs.

'Thump', 'Thump' Echoed the monsters heavy steps in the open black space, my eyes couldn't penetrate to darkness.

_'No..' _I pleaded within my mind _'No... stay away'_

"Sssssakurrrrra...." The monster purred, it's silky voice right be hind me

"NOOO!" I didn't know if I actually screamed or not but it didn't matter

And so I lived in that world of nightmares and phantoms for an eternity. Eternity could be the only word to explain the endless screams, moans and howls of its monstrous population. Time held power in their world of darkness.

Many monsters plagued me, whispering my name, talking to me. They spoke of death to her, they told her twisting tales of pain and torture. Their stories however where not if fiction but of reality. They told her past and twisted it, twisted it until it was disgustingly but horribly close to, no was the truth.

I screamed, and screamed. I screamed for an end, I screamed for Naruto. I screamed for my friend back home, shouting their names into thee darkness but the monsters around me took those names and turned them on me.

I cried on the inside, not caring if tears did fall from my eyes. I was breaking and soon I will be shattered and nothing would be able to save me.

"Naruto..." I wailed miserably. "H-help me! HELP ME!"

_'Pitiful Sakura'_ A new familiar voice spoke to me from the darkness, as if burned by fire the monsters hissed and curdled, edging away but always remaining just close enough of her their deep breaths and their deathly moaning.

"Sasuke" I cursed the name, spiting it out like poison.

'_Still depending on others, even now, trapped in your own mind, pitied against fake ghosts you can not stand up on your own two feet. You still rely upon others'_

"No..." I denied meekly. "No, its not true!"

_'Die Sakura, die for you are too weak'_

"I'm not... I'm not!-"

As Sasuke's presence left like a lingering echo soon reduced to nothing the monsters lunged at me, their sharpened talons scraping and bruising my very soul.

"-weak"

Suddenly the monsters faded, still ever present but it was like a veil was place over them, I didn't fear them as must as I used to. It had to be my strong, prevailing will power. I wasn't going to lose to Sasuke, not yet. I was in too deep to give up now.

I had dived headfirst into the ocean of my own desire and I was well beyond the point of no return. I could see the glittering surface far above me but I either held the power or air to push myself back up. Even if I focused all my will power on to reaching the surface I would undoubtedly fall short. So instead I sank deeper and deeper, into depths of the dark ocean.

I knew I was never going to see the surface again but truthfully, I would have had it any other way.

For another eternity I sat there, I neither cried out or cowered in fear, even as the monsters grew louder, more frightful I not once trembled.

Finally the black world around me vanished as pain knocked me out of my revere. My vision exploded into splatters of red, green and brown. A deep throbbing pain engulfing my head and slowly inching down through the rest of my body. After spending all of eternity in that black world, disconnected from my body and sense the drafty, moldy smell of my cell burned my nose. My body super sensitive to the cold ground I sat upon.

"Welcome back Sakura-san, I hope you enjoyed the affects of my poison," Sasori's smooth voice was suddenly to loud for my ears, it felt as if the entire ear drum was shattered.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions Sakura-san" Sasori clearly knew about my super sensitive state for he spoke louder, gaining satisfaction from the grimace I made. "And if you don't answer them then I will send you back to that place."

"No." I resorted simply, making eye contact. I almost smirked in satisfaction as he reddish brown eyes widened partially. "I don't fear that place, I fear nothing."

* * *

Sasori was confused, his poison was flawless, she should be this very moment shaking in fear and blurting out every little secret she knows about her village, not staring him cooly in the eye—and almost smirking at that-- and flat out tell him no.

"Don't be naive child." Sasori hissed, grabbing Sakura by the collar of her tattered shirt. " And don't play the brave little kunoichi either." He wasn't in a mood to play games anymore.

"I'm not playing." She replied, not breaking eye contact. A short flash of anger burned inside of Sasori before he promptly pushed it aside.

"Well if you truly are without fear then I'm sure you can handle a double dosage." Sasori pulled out a second, larger needle from his bag and injected it into Sakura's arm, not missing the vein despite his speed.

With a smirk of satisfaction he stepped back from the girl as the screamed in pain.

* * *

"All of their condition have stabilized Tsunade-sama." Shizune stood by her sensei, she like Tsunade held a haggard look after three days straight of constance surveillance over the team of genin and sole chunin.

"If they weren't injured I would have strangled them by now." The Hokage growled as she glanced over a medical chart handed to her by a passing by medical nin. "Look at this Shizune," Tsunade shoved the chart into the other woman's arms. "taking on two S-rank criminals, what were they thinking!? Hinata and Ino both have shattered rib cages, Kiba, broken nose, Shikamaru, coma from rapid loss of chakra-is that even possible!?. Never in all my years... and don't get me started on Naruto and Sasuke! Sasuke is gravely injured and probably dead if Naruto didn't jump in and save him last miute but that blond idiot got himself even more injured in the process!"

"Tsunade-sama, please try to understand." Shizune pleaded, trying to sooth the Hokage's anger. "Our ANBU found them and resuced them so there's nothing to worry about right? They were just trying to find their friend Sakura-chan."

Tsunade was silent for a moment as they walked down the halls of Konoha Hospital, "I know... oh kami I hope she's alright."

* * *

"Don't you think you're going to far Sasori-no-danna?" Deidara frowned as he listened to Sakura's tortured screams. His frown deepened as his partner gave a simple bland "no" in response.

"That genin is very interesting though." Sasori added as Sakura's screams of pain died down. "She keeps surprising me. I almost feel..."

"anticipation?"

"no... giddy...?"

"Giddy, yeah? What kind of emotion is that?" Deidara scoffed, snickering at how a weak genin was making his supposedly "emotionless" puppet partner feel something.

"I'm not sure..." Sasori said after long thought. "Maybe a sense of looking forward too."

"Oh? Do you have something planed for pinky tomorrow, yeah?"

"In fact I do, I thought that I would show her my art." Sasori smirked as he saw the smile on Deidara's face disappear, only to don a scowl of annoyance.

"I respect your art in all danna but I believe Sakura-chan deserves to see some real art before she dies."

"Please Deidara, your bombs hardly counts as art."

"But danna," Deidara's cocky smirk returned as he stared at the mouth on the palms of his hands. "My art is just like her life... fleeting."

* * *

Me: A-ha! The end! Muahahahahaha! Sorry about not writing the battle scene between the genin and Itachi and Kisame but I was stuck on that part for the longest time so I decided to just go without it.

As always please review!!! Review and I will update! Don't review and no new chapters!


	7. I dedicated to how you're killing me

Me: Hello! Chapter 7 of Master of Puppets is here! Now I have good news and bad news... The bad new is there are only 3 chapters left. The good news... well there is none! Sorry!

Okay! On to the story.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 7: I'm dedicated to how your killing me

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"Stop them!" Shizune's horse cry rang out through the large hospital. It was night and the entire village was in the middle of a black out. "There's heading out the back!"

A squad of ANBU accompanied her as she raced against time. She was careless, letting her guard down. She was now suffering for her dangerous mistake, Orochimaru's minions found a golden opportunity to infiltrate the village and kidnap Uchiha Sasuke.

"Shizune-sama!" A dog ANBU ran in step next to her. "I can still sense Uchiha Sasuke's chakra, it's not far."

"Double time! Let's go!" With a grunt of effort Shizune pumped chakra into her feet and speed off.

"Shizune!" Naruto's blond head peeked out of a door. "What's going on? I hear noises." Naruto's eyes widened when she saw the ANBU. Shizune stopped only long enough to order Naruto to say in his room before running off. Naruto ignored her orders and followed after. One ANBU looked back at him curiously but made no move to stop him.

"Naruto! I thought I told you to stay in your room!" Shizune chided him as they rounded a corner.

"What? And miss all the action!" Naruto whined. "No way!"

"You're still healing!" Shizune protested weakly. Naruto smiled and pulled off his bandaged, showing of his fully healed arms. She sighed in defeat. "You better not get in the way Naruto."

"I wont! Believe it!"

* * *

Naruto and Shizune never caught up the the sound four and they never rescued Sasuke. When they returned home empty handed, Naruto was different. He had lost two of his team members in less than a month. He lost Sakura to the Akatsuki and Sasuke to Orochimaru.

"How's he doing?" Tsunade asked Shizune as the two of them stood outside Naruto's room at the hospital.

"Well," Shizune began" Physically he's fine but mentally..."

"Hmm..." Tsunade understood what Naruto felt, she went through the same thing with Dan and her brother died. "Let's leave him alone for a while." Tsunade stepped away from the room, gently pulling Shizune along with her. "He needs some time to think."

As the 'tip' 'tap' sound of Tsunade's high heels slowly died away Naruto let out a pent of sob. He couldn't save them. He couldn't save two of the most important people in his life. First Sakura, the love of his life then Sasuke, his greatest rival and greatest friend.

Naruto stared out his window, his eyes watching the moon. It was a clear night and the moon was full. A faint breeze playing with his rooms curtains. With out a single thought, Naruto wordlessly grabbed his bag, which was placed beside his bed in a chair, and pulled out from it a pack of stationary and a pencil. Tears stung his eyes as he wrote, scratching out an occasional word and before long he was done. With the note placed neatly on his bed he pulled himself onto the frame of the window, soaking in the silence of the night.

"I'll get stronger..." He whispered to himself. "... and then I'll save them... I'll never lose anyone important to me again!" Naruto shoved himself out the window and ran through the empty streets of Konoha.

* * *

The sun was just peeking out behind the sea of trees when Naruto finally stopped after a long night of restless running. With his stomach growling and his limps tired he quietly walked to a small tea shop off the main road. It was a humble shop with an open front and off to the right side a slide over covering for bad weather. Inside he could see a healthy, middle aged man behind a sleek wood counter, frying noddles.

"Hello! Old man!" Naruto approached the counter, placing a small pile of coins on top. "I'll have some noddles please!"

"Hai!" The man gave Naruto a kind smile. "I'll have your noddles done in jus' a minute." The man hummed a bright, up beat tune as he drained the noddles and placed them in a bowl of broth. "eat up!" He smiled as Naruto grabbed the bowl.

_'It's not ramen but it will do'_ Naruto thought glumly as he thanked the man. The noddles slid down his throat as his stomach growled with content, finally being feed food after fasting for so long. Naruto was halfway through his meal when a large hand grabbed him by the shoulder.

Jumping to action Naruto jerked away from the hand and jumped back, his face mixed with surprise and shock as he saw his attacker.

"Ero-sannin!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice meddled with a mixture of emotions but mostly confusion.

"Hey! Naruto!" Jiraiya grinned goofily as he sat down in a sturdy chair. "What a coincidence that we'd meet up in here of all places." He paused, looking around the small shop. They were the only customers. "Where's Kakashi? And the rest of your team." Jiraiya looked to the boy and did a double take. Naruto was crying.

"They're gone..." Naruto whispered. "Sasuke and Sakura..."

* * *

Jiraiya knew that the Akatsuki were after Naruto but to kidnap his teammate and hold her hostage, that was low, even for a group of criminals. Jiraiya was shocked when he heard Naruto describe all the recent events on Konoha. He felt partially guilty about all of it. He knew that Orochimaru was going to need a body soon and he knew better than anyone about the Akatsuki. Why couldn't he foresee any of this? How could he be so careless.

"Naruto..." Jiraiya knew how he could cheer up the boy, and ease his burdened heart. Yes it was a huge risk but he did feel responsible. "I know where the Akatsuki hideout is..."

* * *

"Hello, Sakura-chan!" Deidara's bright male voice, though feminine looks, jolted me awake from the light sleep I have managed to fell in and out of. Sasori's poison had not only just put me through a hell of pain but it also gave me no rest. I found it impossible to sleep, no doubt there were huge bags under my eyes right now.

"What's with the glum, tortured look?" Deidara mocked as he sat down cross legged in front of me. I shifted slighting against the wall, trying to me myself more comfortable. "How are you doing?" He smiled, resting his chin on a long hand.

"I've had better nights." I said weakly.

"I'd bet, hmmm." Deidara nodded, Sasori told him that the poison had a side affect that kept the victim awake. "Danna told me that he has something planed for you today." His smile clearly saying 'I know something you don't'

"Another poison?" I guessed, almost dreading the thought. _No_, shaking my head I brushed my fears aside. I could handle anything Sasori threw at me.

"Nope!" Deidara leaned forward. "Good guess though, Sasori-no-danna can be so predictable sometimes, yeah."

"I give." I sighed, closing my eyes, to weak and tried to keep them open.

"Hey! Hey!" Deidara shook my shoulder. "Stay with me pinky! You're ruining the fun, yeah!"

"I fail to see the fun in any of this." I said sadly, staring at my useless left arm, which was starting to turn purple. Faint tinges of purple covered my also useless right leg.

"It will all be over soon, pinky." Deidara nodded, closing his eyes. "Soon Sasori will get the information we need from you and he'll most likely add you to his "collection", yeah."

"Collection..." I repeated. "Sasori... said the same thing to me..."

"Did he now?" Deidara smiled, a look of amusement in his eyes.

"What dose it mean?" I asked, a few ideas forming in my mind, just what did a S-rank criminal do to people in his 'collection'?

"Well, you'll find out soon enough.... but..." Deidara mulled over the though as I as sat, watching him apprehensively. "I guess I could tell you, yeah." A grin that I did not like the look of crossed his face. "Do you really want to know?"

Before I could answer the faint muffled sounds of foot steps coming down the hall turned my attention away from Deidara. Not long after did the heavy door leading to my cell slam open and Sasori walked in.

"I thought I told you to leave her alone Deidara." Sasori frowned as he saw Deidara sitting down in front of me.

"I guess you did, didn't you?" Deidara smiled, in no time flat he was up on his feet again and walking around Sasori in a wide arc. "I just wanted Sakura-chan to know that if she wants she could die as art, yeah." Deidara winked at me before skirting around the door frame and running off.

For a moment Sasori just stared at me. Sweat trickled down my face as I tried to bite back my fear. I promised myself that I would become fearless, that I would let nothing get to me. With a new found determination I broke the silence.

"I won't break." I said sharply, glaring the male in front of me down. "Do what ever you want to me. I look forward to it."

Sasori said nothing as I continued to stare at him. His empty, poker face hid his thoughts. Finally, after several moments he spoke.

"Is that so?" He pulled out a small summoning scroll from a canister attached to his pants and opened it. When the smoke cleared there was a very dead woman, about my age and size on the floor in front of me. "And to think today I was only going to show you my art."

Pulling my face away from the dead body in front of me I looked back up at Sasori. "I won't break..."

* * *

Me: Muahahahahaha! Another chapter bites the dust. Well you know the drill people! Review! I'm always open to comments or even ideas!


	8. Betrayal

Me: Here it is, chapter 8, just two chapters left. Enjoy

Chapter 8: Betrayal.

* * *

"Remember what I told you Naruto?" Jiraiya whispered to the blond boy next to him.

"Yeah." Naruto answered gravely.

The two of them had successfully infiltrated the Akatsuki base under the cover of night. They had ran down seemingly endless hallways and faced traps behind every door but now they faced their biggest problem.

Jiraiya and Naruto clung the ceiling of the roof hiding their chakras with one of Jiraiya's toad techniques. Down 30 feet below them pacing the floor was a certain blonde Akatsuki.

"Hmmm, Danna gets to have all the fun, yeah." Deidara mused aloud, unknown to him that he had spectators. "I wanted to show pinky my art, hmmm."

Naruto's fist clenched at the mention of his friend. It took all of his restraint and Jiraiya's hand on his shoulder just to prevent him from jumping down then and there and demand where Sakura was.

'All in good time' Jiraiya mouthed to him. 'Be patient.' Naruto hated being told to wait when he was so close to saving Sakura, pain stung at his eyes. He was going to get Sakura back for sure. He wasn't going to fail again. This time he will save his friend.

* * *

"You insult me Sakura-san." Sasori said blandly over his work, watching the girl out of the corner of his eyes.

Sakura gave no answer for she was to preoccupied with throwing up, her small breakfast now on the ground in front of her in an unsightly puddle.

"I guess I could have expected as much from you," Sasori worked quickly and effectively, it had only been three hours and he was already halfway done with the initial process. "Tell me." He began, looking up from his work long enough to look at the girl, spilling her stomach all over the floor. "If I am not mistaken, Konoha ninja are trained with moralistic values? Per say the value of life?"

"...This is sick...." Sakura spat accusingly at him. Sasori raised an eyebrow at this response, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"This is art, Sakura-san."

"Art!?" She spat like the word was poison. "You call disgracing a deceased person's body art?!" She glared at him, pouring all her anger and hate into it. Sasori's smirk was replaced by an irritable frown.

"You do not understand," He said simply. "I didn't expect you to."

"I don't understand!?" She growled. "Its you that don't understand!" She was screaming now. "You're just some sick bastard that thinks its fun to cut people up and turn then into puppets!"

"Art is eternal Sakura-san." Sasori said, keeping his temper in check. "By turning people into puppets I ensure that they last forever."

"Art is fleeting, Art is eternal!" She screamed. "Art can be what ever it bloody wants to be but when you mix it with human lives then its just murder!"

Sasori resisted the urge to kill the girl, opting a different way to punish her. His hand smacked her swiftly across her face.

* * *

"Thats it, un." Deidara growled, finally losing it. "I am not letting Sasori no danna have all the fun, I'm going to show dear Sakura-chan my art as well." Deidara left the room, walking in a quick brisk pace.

Jiraiya nodded to Naruto and the two jumped down from the ceiling, carefully following the Akatsuki. They were silent for fear that the blonde Akatsuki would hear them.

_'This place is like a maze' _Naruto thought as they followed the blond through a series of turns and doors. _'Argh dammit! Sakura-chan! Wait for me, I'm going to save you no matter what!'_

Naruto steps struck the floor harder as his thoughts filled with saving Sakura.

_'Kids getting anxious' _Jiraiya noted. _'I shouldn't have brought him.'_ He frowned, thinking hard. '_He's too quick to anger and our opponents are Akatsuki. One wrong move and I'm dead and Naruto captured.'_ Jiraiya watched the Akatsuki just within their line of vision. _'The smart thing in a situation like this would be to find Sakura's location, then find a quick escape route and wait for the enemy to leave her by herself them rescue her. But I doubt Naruto understands that that is the best plan for a situation like this. Most likely he'll charge straight in and that is the last thing you would want to do.'_

Jiraiya sighed, he was for a tough time if he has to protect Naruto while fighting two Akatsuki. He fingered the special summoning scroll in his pocket. The life or death emergency scroll.

"Ero-sannin" Naruto murmured quietly.

"Yeah, Naruto." Jiraiya watched as Deidara approached a locked, steel door.

"Oh Sakura-chaaan" He sings out, removing the "seal" on the door. "Guess who's come to visit you!"

Naruto growled. Seeing that Akatsuki, his enemy, speak to Sakura in such an informal way made his blood boil. And the Kyuubi's chakra flare.

* * *

It hurt, it hurt a lot. The burning, stinging feeling that crawled across my skin but it didn't matter. Her mind was on a distant memory.

"_This is a C-rank mission" The Third Hokage handed the two gennin a slip of paper. Sasuke took it from him and skimmed it. _

"_We have to escort a traveler Tea Country." Sasuke summarized the paper. The Third nodded and wished them a successful mission._

_'This is...'_ I thought, recalling the memory. _'That time....'_

"Sakura..." Sasuke's voice trailed off as they walked out of the thirds office

"_Yes Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked brightly, she was so excited to go on a mission with just her and Sasuke._

"_You should not be a shinobi."_

"_What?" Sakura asks, her Sasuke obsessed mind denying the hurtful words. "What did you say?"_

_  
"I said." He turned, his sharringan blazing. "You should give up being a shinobi."_

_  
"How could I do that!" Sakura practically cried. "I have to prove my worth-!"_

"_What worth." Sasuke glared down at her, Sakura shivered from his intense aura. _

_  
"I have to be strong." Sakura defended meekly. "So I can be useful."_

"_You have no use." Sasuke turned away from her and started walking away._

"_Wait!" Sakura ran after him. "I do have worth! I am useful!"_

_Sasuke ignored her as he kept walking. Desperate to make him stop she gasped his shoulder. He turned instantly and slapped her across the face._

_  
"Don't touch me!" He growled and turned away._

_'What an ass' _I thought as I now looked back on that painful memory. '_He's such an ass.'_

"You really are just a kid." Sasori frowned at me "You are too young to understand true art."

"Oh Sakura-chaaaaaan" Deidara's voice wafted over to my ears. "Guess who's coming to see you!"

"What is he thinking?" Sasori spat as Deidara opened the door to my cell. "Deidara get... lost..." Sasori's voice trailed off. Deidara walked in and stared at Sasori's face.

"Woah Danna!" He exclaimed. "I've never seen you make that face before, un."

"Deidara shut up." Sasori's shocked expression was gone, it had changed to one of pure annoyance. "We have intruders."

* * *

"Ero-sannin look! They're leaving!" Naruto's red eyes focused on the two Akatsuki that left Sakura's cell and walked down the opposite hall. "Lets go save Sakura-chan now!" He jumped forward but Jiraiya grabbed him last second and held him back.

"Now just wait a minute Naruto!" Jiraiya held the boy in place. "Before we can grab Sakura and leave we need an escape route. If we take her now and they come back to find her gone their going to know whats up! And we don't know where we're going. They know this place better than we do and they could easily find us. We need to avoid fighting them at all costs!"

"Then we just have to get Sakura out of here before they find her!" Naruto defended. Jiraiya knew that any more attempts to persuade him would just go right through his head. Naruto was the type that doesn't hear what he didn't want to hear.

"Naruto I know you don't want to hear this but-SHIT!!" Jiraiya charged after Naruto as the boy ran to the door.

"Sakura! Sakura!" Naruto yelled, completely forgetting where he was. "Its me Naruto!!" Naruto tore the seal of the door and charged in.

"Naruto!" Sakura's weak voice answered back. She stared in disbelief as her teammate ran into her cell and crouch down next to her.

"Naruto!" Jiraiya appeared in the door way, his expression panicked. "We need to grab Sakura and go!"

"Come on Sakura-chan!" Naruto grabbed Sakura's arm and yanked her up. She screamed in pain as she fell back to the floor, Naruto cursed his stupidity and tried to pick Sakura up. Sakura twisted out of his hold, lading on her good arm.

"Naruto she's injured! Can't you see her leg and arm!?"

"Sakura-chan" Naruto sat by his friend, a comforting smile on his face. He tenderly picked up his friends hand and held it. "Did they do this to you?"

"Naruto..." Sakura panted, tears welling in her eyes. "Its a trap."

"NARUTO!" Jiraiya lungs forward, picking up Naruto and Sakura at the same time. Sakura cried out in pain from her injuries and sudden mistreatment. Jiraiya mentally promised to apologize later but now his main concern was getting the hell out of there. "Shit." He cursed as a cluster of senbon flew by his ear.

"You were right danna." Deidara's smug face appeared from behind a corner, followed shortly after by Sasori.

"They should have taken more care to hide their chakra." Sasori stepped forward. "They even delivered the kyuubi right to us."

"What?" Deidara's jaw drops as he looks from Sasori to the two males standing not to far from them with their prisoner. "That kid is the kyuubi!? Then who's the old guy."

"Jiraiya, one of the three legendary sannin." Sasori heard about Jiraiya from Itachi and Kisame's encounter with him.

"This is certainly interesting, un." Deidara laughed as he molded a clay animal. "I doubt it will be easy to get the two kids from him."

"Deidara our opponent is a Sannin and we have orders not to kill Sakura or the Kyuubi vessel." Sasori watched Jiraiya's every movement, his every breath. They could not afford a single mistake but then again, neither could he.

* * *

Jiraiya knew from the get-go that this was a bad idea but he was too stubborn. He let his personal emotions affect his judgment, then again when did that ever stop him. Jiraiya knew the shinobi rule, Show no emotion on the mission, do not be ruled by emotions. He hated that rule, never tried to follow it for that matter. He went with his gut, and it worked.

So then why did he go through with this even when his gut told him not too. Why? Because he knew the pain, of losing a friend.

"Shit he got away danna." Deidara cursed as he and Sasori stopped at an intersection of hallways. When they first attacked him at Sakura's cell he used the special summoning technique he used when fighting Itachi and Kisame. And turned the whole hallway into a frogs stomach. The move gave him the time he needed to escape.

Now here he was, waiting, watching, hoping.

"Can't you sense their chakra?" Deidara turned to his partner. Sasori shook his head, his face passive.

"I can only sense chakra when it flares like before, even then i barely felt it."

"Damn, Leader-sama isn't going to be happy with this, yeah." Deidara molded more clay in his hand as Sasori looked down each hallway.

"Deidara, we're splitting up. You take that one and I'll go down this one."

"Roger danna."

From his spot on the ceiling, hidden behind a partly fallen section Jiraiya watched the two Akatsuki walk away from him. 'Good they're going the other way.' He silently prayed thanks that both Naruto and Sakura had remained quiet. He jumped down and run for the life of him.

"Ero-Sannin!" Naruto struggles in Jiraiya's arms as they somehow made it out of the Akatsuki base and into the sunlight. "Let me go! Its Sakura that needs our attention!"

"No..." Sakura moaned quietly. "I can't leave."

"What are you talking about." Naruto asks slowly, Sakura tried to look at him but his innocent face made her want to cry.

"I need to prove him wrong..." Her mind didn't know what she was saying, but her heart did. Going with Jiraiya and Naruto would just take her back to Konoha. Then what would she do?

Everyone would rush to her and marvel and complement at her survival against the Akatsuki then her life would return to its normal. Boring. Useless. Self.

She didn't want to be a hindrance, she wanted to feel... not wanted. Wanted could just mean 'wanting companionship' or 'wanted for being a friend.' She needed to be wanted, she wanted to be used. Not siting on the sidelines while Sasuke and Naruto did all the work.

But here with the Akatsuki, she may have not been wanted but she wasn't being useless. For days, weeks has she stood tall against harsh treatment and has yet to tell the Akatsuki anything that they wanted to know.

Standing up to the Akatsuki was proving her worth. Her worth as a shinobi.

Sasuke told her that she could never be a shinobi, that she should give up. Now she has found something that proved she was a good shinobi and she wasn't going to let that go.

"Sakura-chan! Are you talking about Sasuke-teme!?" Naruto refused to look away from his friend, he brain couldn't wrap around that fact that both of his friends wanted to leave him.

"Naruto I-" Sakura didn't want to tell Naruto her entire reasons for wanting to leave him, to leave the village. Who could live in a place where she wasn't wanted. _'I also don't want him to come after me.'_ Sakura thought. The Akatsuki initially captured her to use as bait anyways so if she cut all ties with Naruto then...

There was a loud, thundering explosion as the ground beneath them shook and trembled. Bursting forth from the brown dust cloud was clay bird emerged. They all recognized the blond Akatsuki riding it.

"Found you, yeah." His smooth voice calls down to him. "Danna they're right right where you said they'd be."

Jiraiya made a desperate grab for the two genin but a cloud of poisoned needles got him. The shapr needles covering him like a steel covering,

"Ero-sannin!" Naruto was torn between friend and teacher, a feral growl pushed past his lips as he created an army of clones. " Damn it all! I will beat you!"

Despite all of Naruto's efforts he stood no chance against two Akatsuki. With the last of his strength Jiraiya grabbed Naruto and used his special summoning scroll.

And they were gone.

"They escaped danna!" Deidara yells from his bird.

"Stop stating the obvious." Sasori irritably called back. He wasn't too worried about losing them. His poisoned needles would kill him in three days and the kyuubi would probably come back seeking revenge but what he didn't get was his pink haired prisoner.

She laid mangled on the ground, her broken arm twisted awkwardly against her side.

"Deidara head back to base." Sasori instructed his partner. Deidara looked as if was about to oppose but he heard the threatful undertones to Sasori's order. Sulkingly he flew back to the base. "You are by far the most complex prisoner I've ever had." He told the genin as he crouched down beside her. "Why didn't you escape when you had the chance? Why didn't you head back to your village?"

Sakura turned her head, just enough to make eye contact, a strand of hair partially covering her eyes. Those emerald orbs burned with a fierce pride and an untamable will. It was like a storm was raging behind that sea of green.

"I'm no use to Konoha." She said, her gaze never faltering. "Why return to a place you're not needed."

Sasori observed her for a moment, he half heartedly wondered what made the kunoichi think that if she had no place in Konoha then what use would she be to the Akatsuki? The more he thought about it the more it interested him, and then an idea occurred to him.

"You are of no more use to Akatsuki Sakura." Sasori told her, her gaze wavered but stayed strong, that fire still burning in them. "But you may be of use to me."

Sakura slowly lessened her gaze, watching the puppet master with weary eyes, like a dog that has been kicked to many times. "What do you mean." Her voice was low.

"I want you to be of use to me Sakura but only if you can prove that I can use you."

"Tell me!" She gasped, her eyes wide. "I'll do anything"

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask of you."

"I don't care what it is, no matter what I won't fail." It took all of her limited will power to not look desperate.

"So impatient" He smirked down at her. "it's all good though, I hate waiting." Without another word or warning he pulled a vial from within his robe and injected the purple liquid into Sakura's pale skin. "This poison will partially paralyze you for three days and kill you the fourth. If you can crawl back to base before the poison kills you then maybe I will have some use from you."

He slowly stood up with smooth movements and left her. "I really do hope you make it back." He said to her. "I think this is one thing I can wait for."

* * *

Me: Yosh! Only two chapters left! So give me some reviews! Oh any my contest is officially over! I will be contacting the winners in a few days or so.

So please! Tell me what you think of the story!!


	9. Now I rule you too

Me: Hey! Its the second to last chapter of Master of Puppets! These last two chapters will be fairly long and I might be splinting them up into more chapters but you never know. Well I hope this chapter is good enough that you all don't kill me, hahahaha.

Chapter 9: Now I Rule you too

* * *

Sakura never felt such pain, such agonizing pain as when she was crawling back to the Akatsuki base. The bases small entrance, a door in a small hollowed out cave was no more than twenty feet away from her. Any normal person could walk that distance without breaking a sweat. But when you have a broken arm and leg with your whole body almost completely parallelized it was almost impossible.

She kept going, slowly, painfully stretching her good arm out, grabbing the lose earth and pulling. Using her good leg as another foot hold she somehow slowly inched her way forward. It was painfully slow but progress nonetheless.

Her arms and legs felt like they were on fire, that they would burn up any second but they never did. She crawled on through the endless burning, not faltering.

Sakura though of nothing else but her one goal, to crawl back to her captor.

Underneath all her pain, all her suffering she was happy. Happy that she was doing something, yes she was turning her back on her village but she was never happy there. Konoha would have let her rot, and she refused to not live up to her full potential.

She was a third of the way there.

All her life she was protected. It was Naruto, Sasuke or Kakashi-sensei that protected her from everything. She was no longer going to be the little, helpless Sakura that needed everyones help. She would do things with your own two hands. Fight her own fights, live her own free life.

Just as it seemed she was making progress to her goal, a little more than a third of the way her body gave out. Her hands clenched the ground, willing herself to move but her body would not comply. She was beyond her limit and had to stop.

Sakura couldn't even muster the energy to turn her head. She couldn't see the sky but saw how everything around her grew dimmer. It was almost night.

Sakura gave away completely and fell asleep, her mind slowly slipping away.

* * *

She was in pain when she woke up again, more pain than the first day. Just two days left until the poison in her will kill her.

Sakura grunted in pain as she continued the painful posses once again. Today it was twice as hard as yesterday. Her body was sore and the scorching sun burned down on her. She had gained half the distance she made the first day and feared that she would not make it.

The third day was upon her now and she was almost there, she forced herself to crawl all through the night, only letting herself sleep for no more than a few hours. The door to the base was only four feet away.

She refused to believe for a moment that she would not make it. She knew that if she even doubted herself for a moment she would fail. So she pushed on, she pushed through the pain and she pushed through every mental barrier in her mind.

Two feet, just two feet. She was so close, she would make it. One foot. She would finally be of use to someone. She will finally be truly happy.

And she was there. With all her remaining energy she banged her wary hand on the door, it make no more noise than a light tap. She tried again tapping on the wooden door with all her remaining might.

She could hear the stifling of steps and the door opened. Sasori standing in its frame.

"Amazing." He says, "Truly amazing. Yes Sakura, I do have a use for you."

Sakura didn't have the energy to speak, her eyes stared up at Sasori.

"Sakura, join Akatsuki as my subordinate, though doing so will cost you."

Sakura agreed with her eyes, a hard determined gaze that said she accepted.

"You don't even know what the price is." Sasori tells her. Sakura gave him that look again, telling him that she didn't care. Sasori smiled, staring down at the pink haired girl. "You certainly are interesting Sakura. Very well then, you shall be my new subordinate but before that, I will change you into a puppet.

Sasori pulled a needle from his pocket and jabbed the metal into Sakura's neck. The girl screamed in pain and passed out.

"Sweet dreams child." Sasori said as he picked her up. "When you wake up you will be reborn."

* * *

Sasori kicked Deidara out of the base, giving the blond some menial mission to complete. He didn't want any interruptions while working on his next greatest creation. He took great care in preparing Sakura's body, making sure everything was perfect.

He double checked everything and proceeded to the next step. Changing her flesh for wood. He strived for utmost perfection, taking twice as long as he usually took. Sakura was special and any mistake he made could permanently mar her.

He finished his work and marveled at his creation. He had made Sakura into a living puppet like him. Her heart, with her soul sealed inside, held delicately in his hands. Sakura looked exactly like she did when she was living, her pale skin like bleached parchment and her hair as vibrant as cherry blossoms.

Sasori carefully slid the heart into the hole in her chest and stepped back as her bright green eyes opened.

* * *

_'Am I sill alive?'_ Sakura though as she suddenly felt her body again. Before she was trapped in a cold dark place. Now she was staring up at a dark gray ceiling. '_Whats going on?'_ She felt her body but she couldn't move it. Non of her muscles moved at all. She couldn't even turn her head or move her mouth.

"It seems everything came out perfectly," Sasori's voice reached her ears, the sound clear as crystal. Sasori walked into her line of vision, a satisfied smile on his face. "You survived the transformation."

Sakura wished more than anything to ask what the hell he was talking about but her mouth wouldn't move. Sasori chuckles darkly and tells her "I turned you into a living puppet like me."

If Sakura could gasp she would have, a panicking fear raced though her emerald eyes as she thought of what happened. She was no longer a human but one of Sasori's puppets that made a mockery of humanity. She didn't feel sick, maybe it was because she no longer had a stomach.

"Don't feel so bad," Sasori says to her. "Its not as bad as your thinking. This way you'll last forever, you'll never age, you'll be young forever. You'll be immortal." Sasori placed one hand on her check and stroked it almost lovingly. "You will be of much greater use to me this way than in your old, twisted body."

Sakura closed her eyes and cried on the inside. She was so naive, she didn't expect Sasori to do this to her. Maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought it was. Sasori was right, she was much more useful like this. She no longer had a broken arm and leg that would have never healed and now she was probably much stronger than before. She would never tire or need to eat.

Not to far off an explosion shook the base and Sasori scowled. "That must be Deidara, wait here while I deal with him." Sakura closed her eyes and tried to remember what it was like to be alive.

* * *

"Dammit Sasori!" Deidara yelled, launching another clay bomb at the ground. "How dare he send me out after something that doesn't even exist!! What the hell is he thinking!?!"

Sasori came out of the base glaring at the blond. Deidara returned the favor with a fierce scowl. The two stared at each other in dead lock, neither giving ground. Finally the seemingly eternal glaring contest was broken.

"What do you think you're doing." Sasori frowned. "You're behavior is too rash."

"Don't go telling me what to do, yeah." Deidara growled. "You sent me on a three day wild goose chase only to find that what I'm supposed to be finding don't even exist!"

"I could have sworn that there was a buried statue in the mountains over yonder." Sasori said calmly, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. Deidara howled at lunged at Sasori pinning the red head to the ground.

"What the hell! I was excited! Then after days of digging, to be told that there were no statue hidden under ground!"

"Hmm, guess I was wrong. Now would you kindly get off me."

"No," Deidara growled. "You wouldn't lie about something like that, you wanted me gone. Why did you want me gone!!" Sasori's face was harder to read than a book in some foreign language. The blond clenched his teeth together, trying to discern what was going on in the red heads mind.

"Deidara..." Sasori's low tone spoke his patience thinning.

"Where's Sakura..." Deidara finally asked, a slow creeping horror growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Inside the base."

"Where."

"... my work shop."

Deidara jumped off Sasori and ran inside the base. Sasori got up off the ground, frowning at the blonds behavior. It was that sort of thing that made him thankful to be a puppet.

* * *

Sakura was staring up at the ceiling, wondering what will happen next when she heard the door slam open. Then Deidara was standing over her, his deep blue eyes wide with panic. When he saw her emerald eyes a hope filled his face. He moved his hand to touch her face but when his fingers touched the hard wood of Sakura's check his hand pulled back.

"No way, un." The blond stepped back, Sakura saw the hurt look in his eyes. She wanted to comfort him but couldn't, her mouth wouldn't move. Deidara ran out of the room and Sakura felt a slight twang in her heart. But when she tried to hold on to the feeling it slipped away from her.

* * *

"Damn you!" Deidara yelled at Sasori, who was siting on their cheep tattered couch in the main common area. "Damn you to hell!" Deidara cursed, his rage fulling him, he wanted to kill Sasori right then and there but Leader-sama would have his head if he did.

"Why are you so angry Deidara?" Sasori says calmly, his firm gaze pressuring the blond.

"You turned her into a puppet!!"

"She's not just a puppet, but a living puppet like me." Sasori explained, a undertone of pride in his voice. Deidara heard it and once again lunged at Sasori, grabbing him by the collar of his cloak.

"What made you think you could do that!"

"Simple," Sasori slapped Deidara's hands away. "She is no longer any use to us as a prisoner so I offered her a change to become my subordinate-"

"You what!!!!" Deidara screamed, kicking a small coffee table in his frustration.

"She had proved to be incredibly smart and strong willed. She could have made an excellent kunoichi but her broken arm and leg would have killed such a possibility. Thus by turning her into a living puppet she retains her mind and a new body, capable of so much more than any normal body."

"Did you really have to do that!" Deidara banged his hands on the walls, his frustrating clouding his mind.

"Tell me Deidara." Sasori asks. "Did you like that girl?"

"She was alright..." Deidara said to the wall, resting his head on it. "she was alright, yeah."

"She had to be more than alright for you to be so mad about all of this." Sasori pries.

"Okay so she was a little more than that!" Diedara yelled, giving in. "I liked talking with her, so what. You still had no right to do that to her. You didn't even give her a chance to decide for herse-"

"I did give her a choice." Sasori interpreted. "I gave her the choice of being my subordinate or not, and since she said yes she became my subordinate. And since she's my subordinate I can do what ever I wish with her or to her."

Deidara's mouth jumped open and closed, struck speechless the blond tried to think of some loop hole or what not but he couldn't think of a single damn thing.

Deidara hated to admit it but there was nothing he could do, what was done is done. He couldn't turn back time, he just had to deal with it. The blond gave the wall one last kick before retiring to his room. For one Sasori agreed with his partners decision. Deidara had more sense than he thought.

Sasori walked back to his workshop and attached chakra strings to Sakura. With slight twitched of his fingers he made her sit up and jump of the table she was on. Sasori made her look at him and said. "If you promise to be good I'll let you speak. And after some months from now if you behavior has been satisfactory then I'll teach you puppet jutsu to let you control your own body."

He smiled at the hard but obedient look in Sakura's eyes. He marveled at how even though they were fake they still could reflect her emotions. It was truly amazing. Sasori let her mouth hang open slightly, allowing for her to speak.

"w-wh-wh-w" Sakura struggled to get used to this new way of speaking. "W-w-why..." she finally made out, "w...why..."

"Because you are special Sakura." Sasori made her walk up to him, her face staring up into his. "I've already told you this Sakura so just make sure you remember this time. You are now useful."

Sakura would have cried if she had tears to shed, but her cold wooden body hand no tear glands. In a way Sakura was glad, crying was a sign of weakness. Sasuke told her that long ago.

Sasuke...

Sakura wondered what Sasuke would think if he saw her now, a puppet. He would call her weak for allowing herself to be used. Sakura didn't care that she was being used, because the person using her needed her.

"Sasori no danna." Deidara stood outside the door, refusing to look at Sakura. "Leader just spoke to me... we have a mission."

"Alright, get ready then. We're leaving as soon as possible."

Deidara nodded and left.

"Well then, it's time to test you out." Sasori wished to Sakura. Sakura start into his reddish brown eyes,.

"Hai." She said.

* * *

me: YOSH!! One chapter left!!!! Yays!

Review please!!! It would make me so happy and cause the next chapter to come out so muc hmore quickly!!!

Next time!

Chapter 10: Because its human nature.


	10. Because its human nature

Me: Yosh!! Its finally the last chapter of Master of Puppets!!! Are you all excited?? I am! I means I can finally move on! (starts to cry (literally)) Everyone will love this last chapter. I'm sure of it.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 10**: **Because its human nature**

* * *

The sun tip of the morning sun was skimming the far off horizon, broken by a line of trees, when two travels walked wearily through the open gates of Takuragurke. The village was a humble town of trappers and river going merchants, a peaceful place.

The travelers wore long brown cloaks and hoods that hid most of their faces. Any other village guard would have stopped them and questioned them immediately but since Takuragurke was a prosperous town that never dealt with wearisome problems such as bandits or rouge ninjas the gaurds thought nothing of these two weary travelers.

The guards smiled as they walked by, even offering them guides of the town. The first traveler refused, the second saying nothing. They walked by in peace, entering the still sleeping town.

Akasuna no Sasori smirked as he and his puppet cleared the village gates. He looked back at his puppet with a proud sense of accomplishment .With a flick of his wrist she lifted the hood off her head, her long pink hair falling out across her back. Sasori liked her long hair better, it was more feminine. Before they left on their mission he replaced her short hair, making it longer and nicer than before.

Sakura stared back at Sasori, her vivid eyes scanning the area within her line of vision. She turned her hard gaze on Sasori, her eyes saying what her mouth could not.

"No we have not found our target," Sasori said. "But we know where he lives and his entire schedule." Seeing the sharp look in her eyes he opened her mouth, allowing her to speak.

"What is our mission." Sakura asks, she knew nothing of what was going on. Sasori had told her nothing and days back Deidara separated from them, mumbling about his art.

Sasori pulled down his own hood and looked thoughtfully around him. The town was just starting to wake, a few shop owners moved about, opening their stores or preparing for the new day. "Very well then," Sasori sighed, making Sakura walked directly behind him as he walked down the empty street. "Our mission is to make sure that our target falls into the trap Deidara has, hopefully, setting up a trap for him."

"A trap?" Sakura interrupted.

"Yes, in just a few hours our target will be leaving this town to head to his home base in Amegakure."

"But isn't Akatsuki's home base in Amegakure as well?"

"Yes-"

"Then why-"

"Quiet" Sasori shut Sakura's mouth, making it impossible for her to speak again. "Ame may be controlled by Akatsuki but there are still rebel groups their waiting for us to move and our target is one of those rebels. If we kill him when he's in Ame the rebels will have reason to stand directly against us. If we kill our target outside Ame then they could not pin the murder on us without proof. Thats why we are here, to make sure that everything goes perfectly and that the murder could not be placed on Akatsuki."

Sakura looked down with her eyes, showing she understood. Sasori nodded and they continued down the road. They walked through the soon to be bustling market district of Takuragurke. Stores and stalls crowed together became less frequent as they shifted from one district to the next.

The roads and streets became neater and more organized. The buildings were nice and lavishly decorated. Trees and gardens of flowers made themselves apparent. Sakura was stunned at the tall houses on either side of her. Her sight of the beautiful houses was cut short when Sasori suddenly turned them into a side alley.

"Stealth his of the essence now." He explains to her. "We can't be seen, our targets men know all the Akatsuki's profiles." Sasori pulled up his hood and led Sakura through a maze of thin alleyways. Above then were lines and lines of clothes used by servants to dry laundry and patios where they could sit for a moment.

From what little silvers of sky Sakura could make out between line of clothes it was around noon.

"Look over there." Sasori placed Sakura so that she could peek around a corner and see what laid ahead. The alley shortly ended and a wide garden filled Sakura's vision, and standing in the middle of that garden, as if grown out of the earth itself was a tall, elegant mansion made of dark mahogany wood. "That's our targets house." Sasori directed her sight to the left of the house where she could see a group of men piling boxes into a carriage. There was a second carriage with a large wooden box behind it.

Sasori walked her forward, leading them. He hunched himself down, pulling his hood further down his face. "We are pretending to be beggars, we are going to go up and ask that man directing the others for food. His name is Kuroma and he is famous for his soft heart."

Sakura's eyes focused on the man Sasori was talking about, she couldn't tell from this distance but from the man did look kind. He didn't yell when a worker dropped a box and he laughed a lot.

"He will take us inside, and when inside I will make a clone of both of us and we will find and kill our target. Do you understand?"

Sakura's mouth opened and said with only a slight hesitation, "Yes, I understand."

"Good." Sasori added an extra limp to his step and they walked on.

Kuroma was indeed a kind person. When he saw Sasori and Sakura coming, persevering them as poor beggars, he immediately sent a worker to help them and take them inside where they could be fed food. Sakura was amazed at how well the plan was going.

The inside of the house was just as nice as the outside. The siting room they were placed was large and spacious and the table they sat at was rich cheery wood. The food they were given were the leftovers of the masters meal but it looked as if somebody rearranged the food so that it looked newly made.

Sakura felt a slight pang, she would never again be able to eat food. Then again she would never die of hunger but it made her sad to think that she would never again be able to eat tempura or cooked fruits. She even felt herself missing ramen.

"Let's go." Sasori said, distributing her thoughts. Sakura cleared her mind and made herself focus on the mission. With unimaginable speed he formed the signs and two clones appeared. The clone Sasori and Sakura took their spots and the real Sasori and Sakura ran out the room, heading out a door opposite of the one the entered through.

There was no rush of adrenaline as they ran down the halls, no finger clutching excitement. Sakura was frighted by this new sense of unfeeling. On every mission she had been on her muscles would tense and her senses would heighten from the adrenaline but now she felt no such things. Maybe it was for the best, now she could never choke up, or feel parallelizing fear again.

On her own she was weak, but now. With Sasori as her puppet master, she was a force to be reckoned with.

The mansion was practically empty, what with most servants sent ahead to Ame so they could prepare for their masters return and all able body workers outside preparing their masters carriage for the journey. Everything felt too easy to Sakura. They were welcomed too soon, left alone for so long, the mansion nearly empty. She wanted to tell Sasori but with her mouth closed she could do nothing.

Sasori suddenly pulled them to a stop, turning Sakura so she faced behind them. Sakura's mouth opened and she jumped at the chance. "This is too easy." She said quickly.

Sasori's response confined her thoughts. "I know, we're being watched."

"By who?" Sakura eyed the hallway up and down. There were no doors, no windows and the ceiling was seamless, no person could be watching them from anywhere. "Oh no." Sakura gasped as realization came over her.

What luxurious mansion has a long hallway with no doors or windows. They were trapped in a genjutsu.

Sakura drew up and immediate blank. "But how, how could we be in a genjutsu."

"We still have chakra running through us but unlike when we had real bodies where we could function without chakra, in these wooden bodies we are dependent on it. So in reality we are twice as vulnerable to genjutsu than before."

"But if we are still susceptible then we can still break it." Sakura wished she had control of her body, she could have easily done the release signs to break the jutsu.

"Yes." Sasori's hands flew through the signs and he released both Sakura and himself from the genjutsu.

The genjutsu was more powerful than they would have ever imagined. The dark wooden cage they now lay trapped int was a stark difference from the white washed walls of the mansion. Panic gripped Sakura. She couldn't feel the tense feeling in her stomach or the chilling feeling behind her spin but she knew it was there. Sasori panicked too, losing his cool long enough for him to drop his chakra strings from Sakura, causing her to fall to the floor, her body splayed out.

"Looks like they caught on." A amused voice chuckled from above them. "So these are the infamous Akatsuki??"

"The red head is." A newer, deeper voice said. Sasori looked down and saw that his cloak was gone and so was Sakura's.

"Bitches." Sasori cursed, growling.

"Temper, temper." The first voice said. Sakura couldn't see him but she imagined him like a snake. "Oh well, we'll deal with them later when we get to Ame."

"Jujui, shut up." The second man said, Sakura could see him as a bear. A big black one. The one called Jujui grumbled and there was silence from them. Sakura wondered what was going on, how long were they trapped in that genjutsu? They were moving, Sakura could hear the creaking sound of turning wheels. Were they on one of those carriages they saw before?

"Damn it." Sasori cursed under his breath, he moved to reattach Sakura's puppet strings but nothing happened. A thick scowl covered his face as he tried again but his chakra refused to leave his body. "damn it, damn it, damn it." Sasori cursed. He grabbed Sakura and set her against their wooden cage wall. He manually opened her mouth and sat himself across from her, the small cage making it impossible without placing his knees beside her.

"Whats going on?" Sakura asked, her eyes muddled with confusion.

"They placed a jutsu on the cage, making it so that I can't extend my chakra out side of my body, even now it is extremely difficult to control even my own body."

"We're moving." Sakura remembered her previous observation. "And that man said that they were taking we with them to Ame."

"Yes," Sasori agreed. "But we're not going to make it to Ame." Sasori frowned. "Deidara's art will cut this trip short."

* * *

"There, un." Deidara smiled as he placed the last explosive in place. He had picked the perfect place for the ambush. Down the road, near the half way mark to Ame there were two stone outcroppings on both sides of the road. His explosives were burrowed into the rock on both sides and in the ground below the road. When his target road by he would activate his bombs and BOOM!

His art would be complete, his enemy would die in a glorious arrangement of fire and smoke. His target would die as art, there one moment and gone the next. Leader would have no complains since the explosion would look like the rocks broke and killed them in the end thus hiding the Akatsuki's tracks.

Deidara smiled as he double checked all his bombs. He would have bragging rights over Sasori-danna for at least a week.

When satisfied with his handy work Deidara jumped away from the stone outcropping, and hid himself in a tall tree 50 meters away. His scope would allow him to watch from afar. He couldn't afford to mess this one up, cuz then he'd never hear to end of it from Sasori-no-danna.

* * *

Sasori and Sakura sat still in their cage for what felt like an eternity. Almost no light retched inside their cage so they could not determine the exact time. Sakura was glad she didn't know. It would have been more scary if she knew when her death would come.

Sasori told her that it would take one week to reach Ame and that Deidara set up the trap somewhere at the halfway point to their starting point. It only made Sakura all the more anxious. They could die the next moment, caught in Deidara's art.

They knew night came when the slim of light coming into their cage had vanished and wolves howled in the distance. They didn't hear anymore from Jujui or his friend. Sakura thought that they had left, moving ahead to stay with their boss.

Dawn edged through the cracks the next morning and Sakura was at a loss of what to do. Across from her Sasori sat, his eyes closed. '_He must be thinking'_ Sakura thought. They didn't need sleep, their bodies didn't need to rest anymore. '_It feels so strange._' She thought back on her new body.

It felt weird to be controlled all the time, having no say over her direction or when she could speak. She knew this would happen like this and accepted it but there was still something she doubt she would be able to accept, just like that.

Her new body was so unfeeling. She couldn't tell when she was touching something, even now she couldn't feel the wall she leaned against. It felt like she didn't feel emotions but she knew she had them. Like she knew when she was happy or scared but there was no physical part to the emotions. Every emotion creates a physical reaction within the body and no she had no such thing.

'_I wonder why Sasori turned himself into a puppet.' _Sakura thought within her mind, not daring to ask the questions out loud. _'Yes with a wooden body he could over come physical limits, never get sick. There has to be something more,'_ She concluded. There had to be some ulterior motive for him to turn his body into a puppet.

'_His art!'_ Sakura remembered with a rush. Didn't Sasori always talk of his art? How it lasted forever, never dyeing from old age. _'He turned himself into a puppet to match his art. It wouldn't do if he said art was eternal then died of old age. It makes more sense...' _Sakura sighed inwardly, she didn't want to ask Sasori such a personal thing but if they were going to die any second then why not knowing? Its not like it would matter when they're dead.

"Sasori." Sakura said, coming to a decision.

"What?" Sasori's eyes slid open, an irritated spark in his eyes.

"Why... why did you turn yourself into a puppet?"

Sasori blinked, or Sakura imagined he did with the expression on his face. He didn't expect her to say such an unexpected thing. "Why do you want to know." He asked, cautiously.

"I just thought... since we might die soon... I was just curious..." Sakura looked down, she didn't like asking such a personal thing but she wanted, no had to know.

Sasori stared at her thoughtfully for a moment. " I guess I could tell you." He said after a moment.

"Thank you."

Sasori waved his hand and said. "I was born in Suna. My parents were jounin and my grandmother a village advisor at the time. I guess you could say I was a happy child, raised by loving parents who cared deeply for me.

"When ever they left on a mission my grandmother would take care of me. Sometimes she would teach me ninjutsu or kunai throwing. One day when I was 6 years old my parents left on a mission and never came back. The adults didn't say anything directly around me but I knew what had happened."

_'Thats so sad...'_ Sakura though, imagining what it would be like to lose her parents.

"I was attached to my parents and when they were gone I was... heartbroken, to say the least. It was then that my grandmother came to me, she taught me puppet jutsu and the art of making puppets. The first puppets I made were in the likeness of my parents." something unfathomable appeared in Sasori's eyes, a dark look that was almost sad. "I found out the hard way that puppets can not recreate the feeling love like a real human could do.

"I graduated from the academy the next year and was placed in a team. My sensei was laid back and more often than not I led the team. For awhile the pain in my heart was forgotten. This distraction wasn't enough though, my heart still ached at the thought of my parents. Yes, I still had my grandmother but she was old, how long until she would die and leave me too? I was careful not to be attached to her. It would be less painful that way when she died. I was that way with everyone. Not getting close to my team or fellow genin.

"But no matter how hard I strived not to care, it all failed in the end. Four years had passed, my team and I were all experienced chunin getting ready for our jounin exam. We were sent on our first A-rank mission. We were to take out a group of rebel ninja hiding out in the desert. They were incredibly skilled, and had already taken out two other chunin teams. We fought them and for a while it seemed like we are at the advantage, but then a new enemy appeared from nowhere and killed both members of my team.

"Now longer having to worry about protecting them I killed the rouge ninja and picked up the dead bodies of my team. Even though I never let myself get close to them.... when they died, a sense of kinship I have never held with them before came up and the pain in my heart came back. The pain grew so much that I couldn't even bare to carry my teams bodies back the village for a proper funeral and I left them in the desert.

"For days I stayed locked up in my room, not even letting my grandmother see me. I thought long and hard about many, many things. And in the end I decided on two things. The first was that every living things time on earth was limited, and the second was that emotions block us from our real potential.

"I devoted my life after that to the creation of a technique that would change all of that. A puppet technique that would make me last forever and take away the annoyance of human emotions. There was beauty in eternity, a beauty that could be described as nothing lest than true art. To last forever, beyond the grasp of time that everything fails to break free from.

"I created the living puppet technique and I defeated time, death itself. I knew the village would not... appreciate my art so I left, but not before taking the greatest kaze in Suna's history and turning him into art as well, preserving his amazing skill.

"So to answer your questions my dear puppet, I changed myself to break free from the rages of time and to take away the limit emotions put on me."

Sakura drawled on what she heard, thinking through everything carefully. "Then why did you make me a living puppet?" She finally asked, just one thing bothering her.

"I've told you already." Sasori sighed, tired of playing the same game over and over.

"Then its not because you wanted someone else like you, someone just as eternal and emotionless?"

Sasori said nothing, his mouth was a dry line as he tried to think of something to say back.

"I still feel emotion." Sakura said slowly. "I can't physically feel it but I know when its there. And ever now, I know how sad I fell."

"Why would you feel sad." Sasori said, pulling the attention off him. "What reason have you to be sad?"

"Because." Sakura turned her emerald orbs on Sasori. "I know that its a part of human nature to seek out others like ourselves, but you don't seem to see the humanity still inside you."

"We don't need to discus this" Sasori said, a tone of finality in his voice. Sakura ended the discussion there, not wishing to anger her puppet master.

The rest of the day passed by in awkward silence between them, Sakura wanted to say something but she wouldn't know what to say. She could apologize but to do so after so long? It would just make everything even more awkward. She didn't feel like she could discuss anything else. In the end she contented herself with memories of her life in Konoha. She would die remembering her friends and family.

Night came and went and the third day came.

"How you all doing in there?? Hmmm??" Jujui's high obnoxious voice greeted them. "Hungry?" He said seriously then laughed quickly. "Oh that was a good one, puppets, hungry. Hahahahahaaa!!"

"Stop mocking them." Jujui's friend berated.

"I'm only trying to have some fun" Jujui argued. "Watching that stupid bitch for two days has driven me crazy... you agree with me right? Bobabu?"

"Just watch our prisoners." Bobabu said sharply to Jujui.

"Okay, okay." Jujui said, faint snoring could be hear moments later.

"The fool fell asleep," Bobabu criticized. "He'll die one day, die from his own folly."

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Jujui whined.

"No," Bobabu growled, irritation spiking his voice.

"Well sorry but this is soooo boring!" Jujui yawned, like he was about to fall sleep again.

"It's almost evening, I'll take first shift so you could get your precious sleep."

"We could set up camp by those rock outcroppings. The ones on both sides of the road."

"Very well, I'll go ahead and inform boss." Sakura could hear a loud 'thump' like the sound of a rock falling on a patch of moss and heavy footsteps afterwards.

"Well prisoners." Jujui laughed. "I think I'll let you guys have a window, just so you can see Ame come steadily closer to you."

There was a series of clanks and squeaks when a small portion of of wall next to Sasori's head slid out. Sakura's eyes didn't need to adjusted to the sudden change of light. Outside of the wooden perimeter she could see a deep forest.

Sasori turned and he too looked out of of the window. "We appear to be at the halfway point." He commented.

"Then the..." Sakura paused. Unsure if Jujui could overheard them. The faint sound of deep snoring over them confirmed that he was in fact not listening. "the trap has to be right ahead."

"Yes," Sasori turned so he could look down the road. "The outcropping... that looks like the kind of place Deidara would set up his bombs."

"How far away are we?" Sakura asked, she was anxious, she just had to be. No other word could describe what she thought she felt.

"About a half a mile away." Sasori said, judging the distances. "By the speed we're going we'll be there in 5 or 4 minutes."

"Were would Deidara be?" Sakura's mind hatching up a crazy plan.

"He would be somewhere near the explosion, close enough to see the target enter the trap but far enough to be safe from the explosion."

"We need to signal him somehow."

"Yes, your right. But I can't do much with the jutsu placed in here."

"We need to find a way." Sakura looked around desperately at their cage. Looking for something, anything they could use. To her horror there was nothing they could use. "Couldn't we try to pry away some of the wood." Sakura thought aloud. "Find a place where the wood is lose and pull it off? Then we could wave it out the wave it out the window?"

Sasori though for a moment. "No, it wouldn't work. Deidara might see the wood but he wouldn't know it was us from it."

"What if we attach something to it? Something that he would know for sure that it was from us."

"Hmm, that could work... but what do we use? We don't have our Akatsuki cloaks and Deidara wasn't there when we changed out of our uniforms to our disguises."

Sakura wished she could have banged her head against the wall she was so frustrated. They needed someway to get a hold of Deidara's attention but they had nothing. Sasori looked worried, or maybe that was her. She didn't know.

"Two minutes away." Sasori cursed. Sakura strained her brain for ideas. Sasori banged his fist on the wall next to her and her lose head fell forward. Her pink hair fell down past her eyes. Sakura stared at her bright pink, candy floss hair.

Her hair.

She called out to tell Sasori her discovery but couldn't. Her mouth closed when her head fell forward. Her mind flew into panic, they were less than a minute away from the Deidara's trap and she knew how to signal Deidara. She had to act, fast.

She could see Sasori, out of the corner of her eye, starring out the window, watching the rocks get closer and closer. A mental scream erupted form her head, it didn't work. '_Well of course not._' She thought dryly. Sakura needed to speak, they were running out of time.

She reached deep with in herself, the only way her puppet body would move was by using puppet jutsu. Sasori had told her that living puppets retain their chakra much like they did when they were alive. In theory, Sakura guessed, chakra moved much in the same way in her living body as I did in her puppet body. All she had to do was control the chakra inside her to move.

This is it. Sakura wished she could have gulped. She had to be confident, Kakashi-sensei told her she had the best chakra control and thats all what puppet jutsu was. Chakra control.

Sakura focused hard and searched for her chakra. She _felt _a stream of energy, right where her chin was. eagerly grabbing the stream she traced it up around until she could feel her whole mouth. _'Yes, yes!'_ She thought, just a bit more. She grabbed the stream and pulled it.

Her mouth flew wide open and with all her might she yelled. "Sasori!!"

* * *

Deidara saw the carriage coming over two miles away from the rock outcroppings. A giddy anticipation welled up inside him. This was it, either endless nagging from Sasori-danna or a whole week of bragging rights. Either way Deidara will get to see his art come alive for a glorious moment and then die, die as fast as it was born.

In a matter of minutes the carriage was less than a mile away from his trap... no, less than a mile away from his _art_. Deidara zoomed in with his scope to see his target, the stupid man was eating away at his evening meal. Deidara also saw two other men, ninja, he decided hanging around the two carriages. There was a strange wooden box on the second that Deidara couldn't figure out what it was.

He had guess it was to contain one of the mans pets but a cage wouldn't be built with 4 solid walls and one small window. Their reports told their target as kind to animals, surprisingly enough Deidara mused. The man was responsible for hundreds of human deaths yet was nice to animals. Go figure.

Soon the carriages were nearly upon his art when something caught Deidara's eyes.

Hanging out from the little window on the wooden box was a stream of pink, the color of cheery blossoms...

Deidara stared dumbly as the pink and for a moment he forgot about his art. Quickly turning he saw the targets carriage enter between the rock outcroppings. But the pink from the window... He had but a moment to decide.

Deidara jumped out of his tree and summoned a clay bird, already made.

He decided for a slight change in plans...

* * *

"Hey," Jujui called to Bobabu. "I though we were stopping here for the night?"

"Boss wanted to keep going." Bobabu said quietly.

"Damn him." Jujui whined. "He's probably still paranoid about the Akatsuki losers. What has he to be scared of? You and me are twice as strong as those criminal wannabes. I could kick their asses faster than they could go running home crying to their mothers."

"Is that a fact?" A clear voice called from the sky.

Jujui and Bobabu snapped into action, taking defensive stances but ti was too late. A pair of white spiders jumped onto their faces, and latched on.

"What are these things!" Jujui cried, trying to pull the spider off. "Who's up there?!?!"

"An Akatsuki loser." Deidara laughed. "Katsu!"

The dead body's of Jujui and Bobabu fell to the ground. The targets carriage ahead broke into a dead run, seeing Deidara in the sky.

"Ah,ah, ahh." Deidara molded a new clay figure. "I'm not letting you get away." He threw the clay masterpiece on to the carriage. The clay arachnid doubling ins size and siting atop the carriage. Screeching cries came from with in and the doors ripped open, their riders attempting to escape. The spider wit this long legs covered the new openings and Deidara could hear begs of mercy. "Be happy!" He cried. "Be happy 'cus you will die as art! Katsu!!"

Nothing remained of the carriage but the burn carcass of its metal frame.

"Now on to business, hmmm." Deidara flew down the to second carriage, its driver already running away. Deidara took car of him and walked to the large wooden box. He could see a door on the from narrower end and pried it open. "Well hello there, hmm." Deidara grinned.

"Deidara..." Sakura breathed, a smiled on her face. "You saw..."

"Yep," Deidara laughed. " I sure did, yeah. I'm surprised really, Sasori-no-danna hates waited but you guys sure did wait to the last second to signal me. I was about to blow you all up until I saw Sakura's hair."

"I the target dead?" Sasori asked, pulling himself and Sakura out from the cage.

"Yep, him and his goonies too, hmmm."

"...You did good.... Deidara." Sasori pulled Sakura out completely and attached chakra strings to her.

"Wait... did danna just... did Sasori-danna just..." Deidara babbled stupidly, shocked.

"Congratulations Deidara." Sakura smiled, making her own mouth move. "Sasori complimented you! Just like you wanted right?"

Deidara merely nodded, too stunned to speak.

"Look." Sakura said, looking over at the horizon where the sun was setting. The sun was like a giant round peach, its creamy glow painting the sky overhead with a medley of reds, oranges, yellows and deep blues and purples.

"Pretty, yeah." Deidara nodded.

"I suppose its nice." Sasori remarks.

"Its like your art." Sakura thought.

"Art's eternal"

"Art's a bang."

Deidara and Sasori said together.

"Exactly!" Sakura laughed. The two Akatsuki gazed at her confused. "Let me explain." Sakura said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "A sun set is bother your art! A sun set lasts only so long and is different each time, yet it happens everyday and will always happen. Its fleeting and eternal."

The two Akatsuki artists stood stunned, they had never thought of it that way.

"Wow Sakura, you are amazing, yeah!" Deidara smiled, patting Sakura on the head.

Sasori watched Sakura, she was amazing. She figured out how to use her puppet body, though not perfectly, on her own.

Sasori reflected on their conversation days before. Maybe a part of him was still human, and that part seeked companionship. He guessed he would never know, only time will tell.

**The end.**

* * *

Me: Oh my gosh! Its over! It's finally over! And I have to say that was probably the best, BEST!| Chapter I have ever written for any of my stories.

I would like to thank everyone who read this story all the way through and reviewed. Your reviews is what pulled me though to the very end! I always read your review before I started to write each chapter.

Everyone's reviews were inspirational and some of you even gave me great ideas for the story! So now I ask everyone for one last review of this humble story.

And before you guys ask I am thinking about writing a one-shot epilogue that takes place in Shippuden time so keep posted.

This is it!! The very last review plea. REVIEW! And I hope everyone has a great rest of summer.


	11. Important Author Note!

Hello everyone! This is not a new chapter. Despite all I have said and done I WILL NOT be continuing this story. It is done, finished, over with. Yeah I had a few new chapters for it but I deleted them. Yeah I said I would continue it but the new chapters didn't feel right to me. I was happy when I finished this story, not that I don't like it cuz I love this story, but I just wanted it to be done with.

So in apology and because my brain works best at midnight on a school night I have a new Sasori/Sakura story. It is NOT related to this story in any way shape or form. It is a totally new idea and position from this story.

The new story is called 'Hallucinations' and it is a romance, a real romance this time with 100 percent real romance. And if you ask me, this new story is going to be 10 times better than this one.

So check it out, read it, and especially review it! I need 30 reviews to write the new next chapter! And I mean it! (puts on mean face) so don't be stingy on that review button! It wants to be pressed! I wants love!

Again the story is called 'Hallucinations'

P.S. Another story of mine that could use some love (because quite honestly its about to get dumped soon) is 'The Dog's Loyalty'.


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